My Soul
by SakuraLee91
Summary: Seq. to My Heart. Will Kakashi come back? What does the Kaze have in store? Can Sakura bring her family back home? A journey of love and faith as a family struggles to save their loved one. Read and Review please.
1. Beginning

Hello everyone! I am sorry for my long absence! I am finally able to present the sequel to my story My Heart~~which, let me add has been giving me difficulties because there is just so much that I can do with it and so many ways I can progress it! But, I finally decided on an angle and I can't wait to finish presenting the rest of my story to you! So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of the sequel! I really hope that you all enjoy it and thank you very much for staying with me! The next chapter should be up by the end of January! Look forward to it! ^^

_Kakashi stood before her and said, "I am ready for my mission, Lady Hokage." _

_ "The man you will be escorting is waiting just outside the gate with more Shinobi guarding him at this point. They won't be going with you as I said before. I am sorry to have to do this to you Kakashi," she took a deep breath at the look of pain that flashed through his eyes, and continued with the instructions. "Everything you need is in the pack that one of the Shinobi on the other side of the gate is holding. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that this isn't a suicide mission as it appears to be on the surface."_

_ Kakashi nodded and walked back to Sakura. "Kakashi-sensei, my sensei, I love you," she whispered in between deep kisses, "please be safe." She tenderly cupped his face in her hands and placed another gentle kiss on his lips._

_Gently stroking her cheek, Kakashi whispered, "I love you too, Sakura." Kissing her again, he said, "I will find my way back to you. I promise to come back to you, Sakura. I promise," he whispered fiercely as he placed one more kiss on her lips and turned to go._

_Upon reaching the gate, Kakashi's steps faltered as he stepped out of sight and heard Sakura's wails of pain. _

Kakashi stepped toward his client, sorrow dragging at his heart as he thought of the mission ahead of him. Approaching the group outside the gate, Kakashi nodded at the Anbu shinobi guarding the charge. The man in between them stood slightly hunched over, his arms thrust into the sleeves of the opposite side across his chest as his vacant eyes stared down the path that led from the village.

Kakashi stood to the man's side and waited, apprehension temporarily settling on his shoulders. A quick shiver of shock ran down his spine before he shook it off. _What was that?_ He thought. Shaking his head, his thoughts veered from his unsettling emotions and focused once more on the person he will be spending the next year or so with.

Bowing his head, he whispered, "Nice to meet you Lord Kaze Hiro. I will be your escort on your way back. If there is anything you need, let me know." Kakashi stood straight again and asked, "Are you ready?"

The man shifted very slowly toward Kakashi and looked over his shoulder, "As you wish it."

Kakashi looked at the Anbu member to his left and reached out a hand. Taking the small pack from him, Kakashi flipped open the lid and checked to make sure that he had all the necessities. Closing the flap, Kakashi shouldered the bag and said, "It's time, Lord Kaze Hiro."

The Lord nodded once at Kakashi and proceeded to walk slowly toward the path. Kakashi raised a hand to his heart and closed his eyes briefly before straightening in determination and quickly catching up with the sure-footed Lord. _The journey has begun, what is going to be the outcome?_

Tree leaves rustled in the light breeze, creating dancing shadows on the pathway below. Filtering sunlight bounced off of the duo below, throwing their already guarded features into the deep contrast between light and dark over and over. In the lead was a man of average build, his features hidden beneath a wide brimmed hat that held a mysterious symbol that seemed to resemble a question mark encased in clouds. The obscurity of the symbol lent to the air of secrecy the man emitted to his companion and his surroundings.

Following closely behind the mysterious man was a man who was considerably taller with silver spiked hair. A head-band crossed his left eye, bearing the insignia of a swirl with a point; the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village. The symbol promoted who he was: a shinobi of the Hidden Village. The presence surrounding this individual was one of surety, experience.

Both of them strolled in silence, neither feeling the urge to break the awkward silence between them. The day was deceptively bright and light-hearted, covering the situation that forced these two to become companions on this journey.

"Lord Kaze Hiro," the silver-haired ninja said, his eyes boring holes into the back of the silent Lord in front of him. "Lady Tsunade told me that this mission is a duo mission: one of escort and one of diplomacy. I am fine with either; however, I need to know some things about this situation in your village if I am going to be of any help to you."

The Lord continued to walk on in silence, as if the question had never been voiced. The silver-haired ninja stayed silent also, expectations of receiving an answer, any answer to fill in this curiosity that seemed to be weighing upon him so heavily, residing within.

"Kakashi," a voice spoke softly from in front of the silver-haired ninja, causing his eyes to jerk to the man in front of him. "Listen closely. My village, the place where I am entrusted with the lives of those around me, is in a civil war. My people are divided and the village is in chaos. The leaders of the two groups have demanded an audience with me; I still hold some sway over some of my people. Their methods are crude and they show no hesitation in hurting innocent bystanders. They each believe their 'truth' to be right. That their ways, their beliefs in how our village should be saved, are the only possible solutions. Our village is decaying. The resources that we thrive on are becoming scarce and people are in a panic. There is no thought about others now. There is only the fight of the desperate to save the village, and themselves. They're no longer civilized."

The Lord paused in his speech, gazing into an unseen vision as his steps steadily propelled him forward. He drew a deep breath as sheens of unshed tears glistened on his lashes. "I'm responsible for this. I should have been a stronger leader and guided my people in the right direction. I should have been their light and pulled the village through this tough situation. That's why I have to talk to the leaders of the two groups and why I asked the Leaf Village for help, for guidance. If this doesn't end soon, the whole village will be destroyed: the village and the people. It will be engulfed in darkness and despair forever and I couldn't stand that."

Kakashi stared at the Lord's back as he spoke, detecting sincerity and sadness. A swell of sympathy rolled through Kakashi and he thought longingly of Sakura; her soft pink hair, luscious lips, and gentle smile. Closing his eyes briefly in pain, Kakashi drew a steadying breath and spoke, "Lord Kaze Hiro, I will, to my utmost abilities, help resolve this situation in any way that I can and I hope, for your people's sakes, that we can create a brighter future for your village."

The Lord threw a brief glance over his shoulder and said, "Thank you Kakashi, thank you." A small smile pulled at his lips, an air of disaster surrounding it. Kakashi felt a sense of alarm and then panic. Frowning, he pushed these emotions aside, thinking it was just his imagination creating an unnecessary sense of foreboding.

The two of them set off for the mysterious village, silence once again settling between them as the wind continued to rustle the leaves in trees.

Deep within the darkest forest, surrounded by towering rock gates, was a village being torn apart by an inner struggle for survival. Light barely penetrated the covering trees, filtering in between the leaves to scatter bits of sunshine onto the rocky ground of the village. The heavy black of the shadows, however, could not hide the damage that had been done to the village.

The streets were littered with papers and debris from the wreckage on either side of the paved pathway. The houses were dark and decaying, the wood sidings and porches wrenched from their places, jutting out into the open. An atmosphere of abandonment hung in the air creating an oppressive twist to the once serene and plentiful town.

Broken toys littered yards, brown from the dying grass. Shingles hung off edges of roofs, no longer adding to the protection of the people who once lived there. Shops were shut down, goods cleared out by people desperate for sustenance. The village . . . was dead.

"It is becoming quite late," Lord Kaze Hiro whispered, his soft voice drifting back to reach Kakashi's ears. They had been traveling for quite a few hours: the sun now gone and exhaustion from their long trek beginning to drag upon their bodies. "I suggest we rest for the night."

Kakashi agreed with the Lord and steered him to a small alcove hidden in the trees to the left of the path. Setting his pack down, Kakashi set out to find some fire wood to help ward off the chill of evening.

Grabbing some of the stones outlining the tree bases, he set them in a circle in the middle of the alcove. Gathering up some of the longer branches that had fallen from the trees, he placed them in the middle of the stones, arranging them to form a small stack pointing up toward the sky. Crunching up some of the leaves littering the grass, he tucked them under the tree pillar. Lifting his hands, he quickly formed the signs _ram-dog-rabbit-serpent-bird-boar-horse-tiger_ to perform the Fireball no Jutsu.

Kakashi used a smaller amount of chakra to produce this jutsu, creating a small flame that caught on the dried leaves and quickly spread to the branches. A soft orange glow surround the clearing now as the fire created the much needed heat. Lord Kaze Hiro moved closer to the fire and sat on a small boulder beside it.

Kakashi glanced at the Lord, making sure he was all right, and then proceeded to unpack the essential items from his pack that were needed for a more comfortable camp. He quickly grabbed the poles and the tent fabric and pitched their sleeping arrangements. Lord Kaze Hiro would sleep in a sleeping bag in the tent and Kakashi would keep watch.

The first day of their journey had progressed in silence after their exchange about Kakashi's duties. The next morning they set out once more for their destination, their night uneventful and quiet. _It had been difficult to occupy my mind_, Kakashi thought as reflected back on the night before, which had found him staring at the sky. _Sakura, what are you doing right now? I hope that, whatever it is, it has your mind preoccupied with something other than our separation._

The path that Kakashi and Lord Kaze Hiro were following gradually worsened the closer they got to their destination, becoming uneven and filled with holes. Once again, a shiver of uneasiness traveled Kakashi's spine. Shrugging his shoulders, the silver-haired nin tried to shake off the feeling but found that it was persistent.

The scene painted before Kakashi, as he entered the Village of no name, was one of complete and utter despair. His calm mask cracked and horror filled his eyes as he stared at the ruins of what was once a community. His heart thudded faster and faster in his chest as he cautiously edged further into the streets, darkness surrounding him.

Fear clogged his pores, smothering him as he proceeded further into the blackness, straining his eyes for any sign of life. "Lord Kaze Hiro," he whispered, in deference to the silence enveloping them, "what. . ." He couldn't even finish the question as his eyes fell upon a small doll, lying on the side of the street. His breathing quickened and his heart pounded against his rib cages, echoing in his ears. Kneeling down beside the grungy toy, he gently lifted it into his hands, cradling the poor thing lightly as his thumbs brushed the dirt and grime off of its eyes and face, revealing a smiling face with wide green eyes.

Kakashi closed his own eyes and said a prayer for the image he had of the doll's owner: a child, with bright, inquisitive eyes and a quick laugh. "Lord Kaze Hiro, this is no ordinary Civil War." He stood and turned to the man he was sent to protect.

"What is going on here, Lord? This is too much destruction and devastation for a Civil War that just recently started. It's deserted, destroyed, and absolutely suffocating with all the emotions of pain and horror filling it," Kakashi spoke in a firm, even voice, reigning in his temper. Clutching the doll to his chest, he took a step closer to the Lord before him. "Explain to me what you didn't before Lord Kaze Hiro."

A low chuckle escaped from beneath the tilted cap of the Kaze's cap, permeating the air. It grew in volume until the Lord threw his head back, the laughs erupting from his gut, spilling between the two men. Kakashi stared in apprehension at the Lord's crumbling façade, a sense of foreboding gripping him.

From out of the surrounding darkness, a mass of dark clothed figures created a loose circle around Kakashi and Lord Kaze Hiro, their bodies at the ready, hands loosely cupped around weapons waiting to be drawn. The group stood firm, no movement what-so-ever permeating the air around them. Each pair of eyes gleamed in the dimming light of the crescent moon hovering over the scene taking place on the earth below.

Kakashi never flinched, his face a mask of a stoic, calm façade, the doll still loosely clutched to the slow and steady rise and fall of his chest. His eye flickered over the new comers, quickly and systematically shifting through all the possible outcomes of this entanglement. . ._this isn't good_, Kakashi thought as all the possible scenarios ended in his capture and/or death.

The Lord before the silver-haired nin shifted into an up-right position, no longer the hunched over old man that had presented himself at the beginning of their journey. His hand rose to the cap on his head and removed the veiling garment, revealing a moderately handsome man in his late forties with dark brown hair and mean, slanted eyes that pierced the darkness.

"Ahh, Kakashi, my body guard, you did such a fine job on this journey, getting me back to my . . . village. And now, I think it is time to reward you with the truth behind the decay of the scene around you. You see, a few years ago, my old man was appointed the Kaze of this village. Before his appointment he was a fair, gentle man that everybody looked up to. . ."

Lifting his hand above his head, he stared at the moon in between his fingers and gave a mirthless chuckle. "But, people change, and after he became the Kaze of the people, the power and greed destroyed him. His heart changed and he became a filthy animal . . . and there is only one thing to do with filthy animals, put them down," he clenched his hands over the moon in the sky and growled, "so I did and took his title from him. It wasn't as easy as it sounds. His dirty ways had garnered him a group of followers who benefited from his sly, under-the-table dealings, and they fought ferociously to keep their . . . puppet, so to speak . . . in the head chair of the village."

Silence descended upon the group as Lord Kaze Hiro swallowed and spat out the remembrance of the bad taste the actions of his own father always brought to his mouth. "It was sick, the way that . . . thing treated the villagers and greedily collected more and more of their possessions. So I vowed to fix it. As the son of the Kaze, I was a prominent presence in the military meetings and so I used that knowledge he had inadvertently given me to create an uprising among the villagers. We strategized and strategized, over and over, refining our plan, for the day we would take back the village."

His cruel eyes softened as they looked upon the toys littering the yards. "So many people were involved in the uprising . . . too many children got caught up in it. It gained momentum, and I couldn't stop it. The vicious anger the people felt toward the greedy, filthy **leader**," he spat, "took hold. It griped them and propelled them forward into war. My dream of overthrowing my father and gaining the leadership position of the village was fast approaching reality . . . or so I thought."

The motionless figures surrounding Kakashi shifted as one, as if to give Lord Kaze Hiro encouragement and strength. "It was disastrous. We . . . if we had known the outcome of our decisions, we would have done it differently and so many lives would have been spared. It was the night of the eclipse . . . we thought it was fate that the eclipse happened on the planed night. It created better coverage as we snuck across the village, hiding close to the sides of houses, our eyes fixated upon the Kaze's quarters in the very highest part of the village. It was going so smoothly; too smoothly."

Lord Kaze Hiro looked directly at Kakashi and said, "There was a snitch; someone unexpected, who I had firmly believed to be on my . . . on our side of this battle. That snitch . . . was my brother; my younger brother. His job was to go ahead of us into the quarters and clear out the front rooms, so we could all convene there and split into groups to deal with the different leaders and the Kaze. But," he took a deep breath and looked once more to the sky, the twinkling of the stars reflecting in the bottomless depths of twin brown orbs.

"We got to the premises of the quarters and hid in the underbrush. The others were awaiting my signal. Moments passed and I felt a trickle of unease but shrugged it off as being the nerves of those surrounding me. Honestly, what did I have to be nervous about? We had planned this moment over and over, discussing every possible outcome. Taking a deep breath, I motioned to the others that it was time. We slid across the grassy opening, knowing that if even one security guard were to glance at the yard below, they would see a swarm of people in camouflage sneaking onto the premises and sound the alarm. . ."

Kakashi stared at the Lord Kaze Hiro, his heart in turmoil over the destruction this village had been dealt and fear over the future of his life. _If Sakura had been in a similar situation I would have done anything to save her._ "What happened?" Kakashi asked as it seemed as if the Lord before became lost in memory.

"It began," he hissed. "The snitch, my own flesh and blood, had warned the guards of our coming and devised a counter plan to the one we had created together. When we entered the building that housed the quarters of the Kaze and the Lords, we were met with darkness, utter darkness and silence. We crept closer to the center of the room and, just as the last of us entered, the doors to the room slammed shut and we were surrounded. Shinobi in uniforms slithered out from behind the doors and under the furniture; weapons drawn and locked on me and my comrades."

Frustration and anger gripped the Lord as he clenched his fists and whispered harshly, "They grabbed one of the younger ones as hostage and demanded we drop our weapons and hand ourselves over peacefully and, if we did that, then maybe, **maybe**," he spat, "the Lord Kaze would go easy on us. I had so much anger in me that I was seeing red. I clenched my weapon in my hand and took deep breaths, anything to save the boy. Just as I was preparing to drop my weapon, one of the more desperate villagers in my squad launched themselves at the guard and attempted to save the young one. . ."

Silence hung in the air as the many possible outcomes of that situation raced through Kakashi's mind. Lord Kaze Hiro, his head hung in regret, spoke, "Neither of them made it and thus, the fight and blood-shed began. Screams echoed throughout the room as life after life was taken that night. I still hear the screams to this day and I remember clearly the looks on my comrade's faces as they succumbed to death.

"The fight progressed and people fled, I ordered those who were weakened or injured to flee and meet me at the stronghold. I had a mission and I was determined to fulfill it: Kill the Kaze and claim his chair as leader of the village. It was a fight to the death. He could see it on my face as I barged into his study and disrupted his_ fun_ with his personal assistant.

"She cowered at my entrance and grabbed her clothes and ran. My _father_ stared at me with dawning realization over my visit. He whimpered in his underwear as I steadily approached his trembling form. Holding my sword under his chin I spoke through clenched teeth, _You have harmed this village enough old man. It's time for you to pay_. I killed him."

A maniacal laugh worked its way through the air as the Lord Kaze Hiro threw his head back and chuckled to the very sky he seemed to be fascinated with. "I killed that fool and his blood rushed down my hands as the sword sunk even further into his jugular. The warmth seeped through my gloves; I can still feel the moist rush of blood. He tried to scream. Oh did he try to scream but he couldn't. He couldn't let out a single sound except the gurgling of choking on his own fluid. His body gave out on him and he collapsed to the floor, urine now mixing with his blood. What an awful stench.

"It was over. It was all over . . . at least, I had thought it was all over. That bastard left behind a surprise that nobody was prepared for in the least: he had created a secret group who helped him in his shady dealings and helped the other Lords in theirs. This group, Rogue Shinobi as I later discovered they were called, was powerful. . .

". . . and well-hidden. It wasn't until I was preparing to take over that they showed themselves. They created a huge riot in the center of town and started to destroy houses and kill innocent villagers. Soon, the town became dead and those of us left have hidden from this group in the mountains. We can't return to our village and that is where you come in Kakashi, my most wonderful bodyguard. Hahaha, you are going to be so helpful in our next plan."

Kakashi shivered slightly at the malicious undertones to the gracious words of the Lord before him. _Just what, I wonder, is he planning for me?_ Wearily, the silver-haired nin watched as the Lord looked at the people surrounding them and signaled with a flick of his wrist and a low whistle that descended two octaves. The figures clothed in black rippled like water and chakra increased to fill the area quickly, right before three of the figures jumped forward and shot their chakra at Kakashi.

Unprepared for the quick attack of chakra, Kakashi tumbled to the side in a vain effort to avoid the blow. Half of the energy hit him, stunning him just long enough for four other figures to jump forward and restrain him. They held him aloft in between them, his head dangling, still dazed from the hit.

The Lord Kaze Hiro walked up to the motionless Kakashi and grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. Kakashi groaned, his eyelids flickering as he struggled to stay conscious, and whispered, "What are you planning?" Fingers twisted in silver hair, causing a sharp in-take of breath to escape clenched teeth.

"Oh not much," Kaze Hiro laughed, "just the complete control of the Hidden Leaf Village and you, my dear bodyguard, are going to help with just that." His crazed laughter once again filled the night air and Kakashi closed his eyes in dread and thought of Sakura, and her home. _Never,_ he thought._ I will never help you destroy my love's happiness_; before slipping into unconsciousness, the little doll dropping to the ground, lifeless, like the town . . . and its people.

Seasons pass and lives move on as they evolve and become accustom to the changes that the world goes through around them. However, there are some changes that one never becomes accustomed to . . . the uncertainty of life; if a lost loved one will come back to their family, alive, or if news will arrive, instead, of loss. It's a cycle that many never have to face; one that changes the lives of everyone who has ever had to go through the pain of uncertainty involving a loved one.

"It's been four years Sakura," a young blond-haired ninja spoke from the doorway as his eyes filled slightly with tears. His cerulean eyes gazed at the young woman sitting on the floor as he walked further into the room. Crouching next to the rosette and laying his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her into a light hug. Blue orbs sparkled with suppressed emotions that were still so intense after so long, their long lashes hiding the deep sadness.

"Naruto," the young woman whispered, as she leaned into the firm chest, surrounding herself in warmth as she listened to the calming _thump-thump_ of his heart-beat. "I know it has been such a long time now Naruto, but I can't help . . . I can't help but feel as if I am going to turn around and see him, smiling at me through that mask of his, his eyes crinkling with happiness. Or hear him whisper my name as we lay, side-by-side, on the bed, cuddling. I miss him so, and I can't let go. Something is holding me back. I feel as if he is still alive out there somewhere, I just have to look."

"Do you understand?" She murmured as she lifted her glistening jade eyes to her best friend's face, an insuppressible warmth and sadness emanating from their depths. Lifting a slightly trembling hand, she cupped his cheek and said between trembling lips, "Even after so long I feel him with me Naruto and I just know, somehow, deep inside, that he is alive out there and is calling for my help. He needs me and I have no idea where to look. I can feel him, in here," she placed her hand over her heart, "and I know, I just know, that I need to go, to find him. I can't stand this Naruto, this pain. I am being drawn toward something and I just know, somehow, someway, that it is my love for him calling me."

Naruto gripped the hand cradling his face and looked at what she had been staring at before he had entered the room: a shrine for their loved one. Many pictures and luck charms garnished the little table, candles lit in prayer each night, the wax pooling in the plates upon which they sat. It was a scene of love and longing, filling the viewer with a deep ache of grief. Looking back at his precious friend, into her drenched eyes, he whispered, "I understand Sakura, I really do."

His memories went to that time during which Sasuke had fled the village in a quest for vengeance against his brother, and how he had had to fight, so desperately, to bring back his friend, his love, his life. He remembered the desperation that propelled him through each day and night as he was driven to save his first, and best, friend. He recounted the conflicting emotions that had torn through him when he saw his raven haired friend after having chased him for so long. It had been a battle to the death between them, he remembered, as they both struggled to one up the other one; Sasuke trying to kill Naruto and Naruto trying to open Sasuke's eyes so he could see what was waiting him back in Konoha.

Two sets of eyes, hazy with memory, stared at the picture before them, one set filled with sadness and longing for an old friend, an old mentor, and the other filled with an overwhelming love that seemed to spill over from within. In the picture was a man in his thirties, his silver hair spiked in every direction as his eye, the one uncovered, stare off into the distance, soft in the summer light that spilled through the leaves of the tree underneath which he was sprawled, his Icha Icha Paradise book laying open on his lap.

"He looks so . . . peaceful," Sakura whispered as she stroked her finger down the picture frame's edge. "I want to see him, like this, again, Naruto. I want him with me, with us. I want him to come home," she whimpered as she continued gazing lovingly at the picture before her, still hugging the blonde man beside her. Clinging to him, as if he were a lifeline, Sakura felt Naruto's warmth and began to relax against him, her eyes dropping as she began to drift into unconsciousness.

"I know Sakura," Naruto murmured into her hair as he rocked her back and forth. "I want him to return too, if not only for you, but for the little one," he confessed, feeling her go lack against him, knowing that she was falling into a deep slumber, the stress of all those tears dragging her into unconsciousness.

"Sakura," he whispered, then continued when she murmured _yes_ into his shoulder, "I promise you, I promise every one of us, that I will bring him back. I will find him, Sakura; I will find him and return him to you, and to your son. Trust me, and pray for the best, because I won't stop until I find him and you know I never go back on my word." He saw her smile slightly, and the flash of her green eyes as she closed them, her breath evening out in sleep, with a murmured, _thank you_, into his neck.

Holding her close, Naruto continued to stare at the shrine for their loved one, his eyes shining with determination. Holding his fist out, arm straight, he tilted his head forward as he swore a promise to the spirit of the man in the picture, "I will find you Kakashi-sensei. I will find you . . . and I will save you!"

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" a little voice yelled from across the room as a raven haired man contemplated the contraption before him. It was nearing the Christmas season and he was trying to figure out how to put together the portable training dummy that he bought for the owner of the voice behind him. Sighing in silent defeat, for now, the young man dropped the pieces he had been smashing together in his hands in a last, desperate attempt to make them fit, _I know these go together! Damn the instructions_, he thought and turned around, smiling at the sight before him.

"Obito," he laughed, "what have you gotten yourself into little one?" He crossed the room and crouched down before the little boy, staring at the long white-button-up shirt he had entangled himself into. It looked as if he had slipped the already buttoned shirt on and went on a spinning spree around the house, the arms wrapping around him, buttons becoming snagged on other buttons. Chuckling deeply, Sasuke's opal eyes sparkled with laughter as he reached out and tickled the little one, marveling, even after all this time, at the beauty of a child's smile as Obito giggled.

"I wanted to look like Uncle Sasuke!" The child proclaimed as he watched the man he admired deftly untangle him from the mess he had inadvertently found himself in. Obito fidgeted as Sasuke slid the buttons though the holes holding them together in order to peel the separate ends apart, unwrapping the little boy before him. Lifting the shirt, he slid it off those little shoulders. "Uncle Sasuke?"

"Yes little one?" Sasuke asked as he stood and moved to put the shirt into the laundry room, which was situated right off the kitchen in the two floor house that he and Naruto shared. Sasuke walked into the room and shook his head in light exasperation upon seeing orange clothes strewn all across the floor. "Dope," he laughed lightly under his breath as he bent down to pick up the abandoned clothes, his eyes soft as he thought about the love of his life. Pulling the clothes into his chest, he stood with them clutched in his fingers and moved onto the next bundle of clothes on the floor.

"Where is Daddy?" The question stopped the raven-haired shinobi cold as he held the clothes tightly against his chest. _What do I say? _The urge to cry was strong but he held it in as he continued with his task of picking up after his messy lover. Sorting the clothes into piles of coordinating colors, he mentally scrambled to think of how to answer the little one. _Where do I begin? Do I tell him the truth? Do I lie? Oh Kami, why me? Sakura! What would she want to tell him? _The many questions running though his head began to blur as he struggled to determine what exactly he should say to the little one behind him.

"Uncle," Obito persisted as he walked further into the room. His jade eyes, so like his mothers, peering out from the fringe of silver hair that he had inherited from his father. Those bright, inquisitive eyes watched his uncle's movements as the older man shifted through the piles of clothes and placed those that were the color orange into the washer situated in the corner of the room. The little one's lower lip began to tremble as silence met his inquiry once again. Shifting his gaze to the back of his uncle's head he whimpered, "Uncle?"

Sasuke heard the tremor in Obito's voice, the tell-tale sign that the little one was close to crying, and heaved an inner sigh at the dilemma that was facing him right now. Measuring out the laundry detergent, Sasuke dumped the contents of the measuring cup into the bowl of the machine and turned the knob to 'large load' before pressing the start button. Turning around, his opal eyes sought those of his nephews, which were now filled with tears. "Oh little one, don't cry," Sasuke pleaded as he rushed to Obito's side and picked him up, walking them both back to the living room, stepping over the random pieces of the training dummy that he had given up on . . . for the moment.

Rubbing the thin back of the young boy in soothing circles, Sasuke whispered, "I don't know where your Daddy is little one. He went on a very important mission before you were born. It was a very dangerous mission, and we have been hoping and praying for his safe return ever since then. But don't worry little one, I am sure, that one day, he will return, he has to, because how else will he get to meet his son?" Sasuke smiled into jade eyes that stared back at him wide-eyed.

Obito smiled and nuzzled his head onto Sasuke's shoulder. "Okay Uncle Sasuke," he murmured as he drifted into a light sleep. Sasuke held the little boy closer as he stared into nothing-ness, his heart clenching at the hope he had given the boy, wishing desperately that it wouldn't prove to be false. "Please, let him return to us," Sasuke whispered as he closed his eyes in prayer for the return of his former sensei, his father figure.

Deep underground, in the depths of an unknown mountain, a group of ninja made their home, living in the dark, dank earth. Long ago, during a civil unrest, they had lost their home to a rebellion that had mixed with hate in the hearts of the small, unknown village's citizens. It had spilled over, festering as they were lead down a destructive path of lies and deception, almost delirious in their desire to overthrow their Kaze, the village leader. They strategized in groups plans to create a 'better and more peaceful' life for all of them.

They finally implemented their plans, but they were deceived by someone whom they had had complete faith in . . . their leader's brother, Tomohiro. There were casualties to the brutal battle that followed the failure of their plan. However, they were able to pull through, seeing their desire to overthrow the Kaze come true. But upon reaching that desire, their world fell apart. A series of betrayals followed and had led to their flight to a secret underground cavern they had been using for their meetings before the war that wiped out their village.

Their leader, Kaze Hiro, had created a plan, one of many that would lead to a new and better place for the villagers, those who still lived. As he fine-tuned the plan, the villagers banded together to create a better living arrangement under those mountains. But, as they worked tirelessly, day after day, with very few materials they never lost hope for a life without festering diseases from the wild animals inhabiting their living area which consisted of the musty air from the moisture drenched soil that created their floor and their ceiling.

A life in which rats didn't inhabit every corner, burrowing small tunnels into the dirt, creating their own families, living off of the few crumbs of food that per chance fell to the cavern's floor. A life where filth coated articles of clothing weren't the only things protecting them from the damp earth and the too cool atmosphere as the season of autumn faded into winter's harsh hold or from the misting of the thick air in the underground cavern that occasionally occurred when the weather above groud was dreary and wet.

It was a constant battle the villagers faced against the elements of Mother Nature. Wooden structures were erected to create housing for the families, hoping to create a semblance of privacy and to help protect against the adverse conditions. They improvised, making their clothes from random pieces of cloth that they procured from different areas in the village before their move underground. They patched pieces together, it didn't matter if it matched, all that mattered to them was whether or not it fit decently enough to protect them, even if only a little, from the elements.

They learned to eat whatever they found, grass, leaves from the trees and wild animals that happened to fall into the many traps that they set in hopes of having meat for a change. Hunger began to eat at them, they didn't starve but they did have a constant ache in their stomachs from the malnutrition from which they suffered. Though, there were those who suffered from it in more severe cases . . . they were the adults. All the adults in the village would ration down their food to the most minimal amount in order to give that much more to the children.

A school was erected in the far corner of the cavern to teach the children the necessities of life, such as reading and writing. They were taught battle strategies and how to perform jutsu under adverse conditions. They were being molded into, not only model citizens, but effective and powerful shinobi. The people of the unknown village were creating an army.

It was a bustling underground city that, despite the friendliness of the people, was secretive and dangerous. The atmosphere was heavy, not only from the environment but from the strangling emotions that emitted from each individual, creating a suppressing mixture of hate, vengeance and a burning desire for change, no matter what the cost. It was a stifling milieu . . . one from which everyone prayed escape, one day.

This was where their leader came in, Kaze Hiro, the new village leader. He was the son of the previous leader, a fearsome shinobi who felt the village was being wronged by the man who he was supposed to call 'father' and a strong leader who roused the village into action to stop the destructive vices of their leader. The past shaped their future subtly; in such a way that it haunted their present:

_Sunlight streamed down upon the bustling village, sparkling on the morning dew sitting on the grass and leaves of the trees. Birds chirped in the air as they flew over the village, their shadows roaming the ground beneath them, over the houses, the shops and the people. _

_It was a peaceful village, with children squealing in fun and adults chattering away with friends as they do the everyday tasks of shopping for dinner or buying supplies to mend their houses and clothes. It was an ordinary village, an ordinary day filled with ordinary people. _

_There was the shop keeper setting out new goods, the old lady who sold flowers on the street corner, a smile permanently on her face and the shinobi officer who patrols the streets every morning with a greeting on his face for everyone who passes. And, like every other day in this unknown, yet similar to every other, village, the leader strolled the streets, overseeing the peace and happiness of his people. _

_However, something new happens on this particular day. The Kaze, the leader, doesn't smile his congenial smile like usual but, instead, a ghost of a smile graces his lips, one that seems, if looked at close enough, slightly cruel. There had been changes in the Kaze, changes that most didn't notice, but there was one individual who, having lived under the same house as the Kaze since birth, noticed, noticed and felt uneasy under the changes that seemed to be subtly taking place in the village head. _

_This individual . . . was his son, Hiro. Hiro stood in the shadows of the okinomiyaki stand, staring at his father as he walked down the street. __**Father has changed**__, Hiro thought, __**and not for the better. I have to do something, confront him . . . or . . . something **__. . . __**something . . . **__**something . . . **__**something . . .**_

The past echoed in Hiro's head as he leaned his chin against his hand, staring at the map on the wall before him. It had been almost five years since the hostile take-over of the former Kaze. Closing his eyes, Hiro sighed deeply before standing, his brown eyes once more trained on the map as he steadily walked toward it. It was a map of the great nations and beside it was a larger map of non-other than the Hidden Leaf Village and its surrounding foliage. All over the map were notes, information on specific places and people of the village. Trailing one finger on a bright red line that twines around and among the streets of the village, Hiro opened his mouth and whispered, "It's almost time."

A knock at the door brought the Kaze back from his mulling. "Come in," he said, his attention still focused on the map before him, eyes still slightly dazed from his reminiscing of the past. The door opened slowly revealing a masked shinobi who entered and kneeled before the Kaze.

"Kaze, permission to speak," the shinobi inquired of his leader, his head bowed toward the ground. Silence permeated the room after his question, creating a void, devoid of all sound. From out of no-where the sound of rustling papers was heard and then the scrapping of a chair. "Permission granted," a grave whisper came from the Kaze, who was now sitting at the small table.

"Shinobi number 35 has been successfully woven into the lives of Konoha villagers and has sent his first report," the shinobi started, holding up the folder he had been holding in his hand. Putting it back down on the floor he continued, "The reconnaissance team situated on the borders of the Village Hidden in the Leaves is stabilized; everything is going according to schedule my lord. However, others and I fear that our . . . guest . . . may not last too much longer. Doctor Ren has been to see him and suggests that we . . . procure better facilities in which to let him live. That is all, my lord."

Nodding his head, Hiro murmured, "Dismissed," and watched as the shinobi raised himself off the floor, striding forward to place the folder on the desk before disappearing quietly, the door shutting silently behind him. Moments passed as he stared at the folder before him, fingers folded under his chin. Heaving a sigh, he reached for the folder and opened it to the first stapled page, eyes widening slightly at the message before him.

_**"Infiltration has been successful and I have completely ingrained myself in the lives of those closest to the Hokage. Attached is a schedule of what she can usually be seen doing and a list of the people that she trusts the most. I have been taken into their confidence this past year, they are extremely trusting. Another piece of information that seems appropriate to let you know about is that it seems our guest has a son. One who, after extreme investigation, appears to be unknown to the father. I looked at birth records and, if calculations are correct, then the child was conceived around the time of our guest's disappearance for our mission. I have made copies and placed them in the file as well. I will let the rest of my notes reveal what else I have seen. I just wanted to draw special attention to the son. A parting note, I believe that we can implement our plan . . . soon. Farewell, Father."**_

"Well this is interesting, to say the least," he murmured as a slightly insane gleam twinkled from his eye. He began to chuckle, under his breath at first but then it became a deep laugh, from the gut, filling the room until it could even be heard from deep within the compound . . . the echoes of a mad man. 


	2. The End is beginning

Here is the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy it!

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"The end . . . is beginning," a murmured voice penetrated the darkness of the room, filled with resignation and panic. Brown eyes closed in suppressed agony as the person's slender hands lifted to cover his face, quiet sobs beginning to scrap against his throat. Leaning against the wall, he moaned and sobbed as he slid to the floor, into a puddle of tears; sobs echoing throughout the room now as he was no longer able to suppress them. "I don't want to . . .," he whimpered, struggling for breath. "I don't want to . . . ."

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_Where am I?_ Kakashi thought as he shifted and realized that he was lying down on a bed and not hanging from the ceiling as per usual during the last four years or so. Every muscle in his body ached, even breathing was difficult. It had been rough, all the torture that he had had to endure, the threats of death that always seemed to permeate the air whenever one of _them_ came to speak with him.

Struggling into a sitting position, he slowly turned his head left and then right in order to take in his surroundings. _I must be underground_, he thought as he noticed the soft brown walls that looked like dirt from where he was sitting and the absence of windows. The only light in the room was from a single lamp on the opposite side of where he was situated and its artificial light barely reached his little corner.

The room was shaped in an oval pattern and the furniture was rickety and the bed uncomfortable but all Kakashi could do was appreciate and sigh in relief at being released from his torturous prison beneath the mountains. _This may also be a prison but I don't have to worry about the chains pulling my arms form their sockets anymore_, he thought.

Dragging his legs to the side of the bed, he attempted to stand and immediately fell back down onto the mattress. His legs had no strength in them; his body was malnourished from the lack of sustenance he had been given. Falling back onto the bed, he stared at the ceiling, his muddled thoughts drifting back upon the previous years:

_. . . . . The scene painted before Kakashi, as he entered the Village of no name, was one of complete and utter despair. His calm mask cracked and horror filled his eyes as he stared at the ruins of what was once a community. His heart thudded faster and faster in his chest as he cautiously edged further into the streets, darkness surrounding him . . . . ._

_. . . . . A maniacal laugh worked its way through the air as the Lord Kaze Hiro threw his head back and chuckled to the very sky he seemed to be fascinated with. "I killed that fool and his blood rushed down my hands as the sword sunk even further into his jugular. The warmth seeped through my gloves; I can still feel the moist rush of blood. He tried to scream. Oh did he try to scream but he couldn't. He couldn't let out a single sound except the gurgling of choking on his own fluid. His body gave out on him and he collapsed to the floor, urine now mixing with his blood. What an awful stench. _

"_It was over. It was all over . . . at least, I had thought it was all over. . . . ."_

"_What are you planning?" -"Oh not much," Kaze Hiro laughed, "just the complete control of the Hidden Leaf Village and you, my dear bodyguard, are going to help with just that." His crazed laughter once again filled the night air._

_. . . . and Kakashi closed his eyes in dread and thought of Sakura, and her home. Never, he thought. I will never help you destroy my love's happiness; before slipping into unconsciousness . . . . ._

_. . . . Eyes opening to a dark, dank cavern, arms aching from hanging above the floor from the ceiling thanks to chains latched to his already bruised wrists . . . . _

_. . . . Screams echoing in the room as pain engulfed him from the blows placed upon his body . . . . _

_. . . . Questions streaming, one after another, about the village and its people . . . ._

_. . . . Minimal amount of food; barely any water . . . . _

_. . . . Glares from the shinobi . . . . _

_. . . . Pain; Screams . . . ._

_. . . . Tears; Depression . . . ._

_. . . . Pain . . . . _

_. . . . Tears . . . ._

_. . . . Pain . . . ._

_. . . . Pain . . . ._

_. . . . PAIN . . . ._

Kakashi screamed and curled onto his side as the violent images of his torture began to flash across his mind, and the despicable images they had created to break him down, images of his loved ones being murdered, revolving and spinning to consume him until his eyes stared, empty, at the wall before him, tears trickling down his cheeks and a silent scream still upon his lips.

From the far end of the compound, Lord Kaze Hiro stared at the security footage in front of him, the footage of Kakashi's break down in the room they had provided for him after so long in the dungeons of the mountain. A light of thought sparkled in his eyes as he contemplated the now broken form of his former, temporary, bodyguard. "It seems you were right in having him moved from that dungeon," he spoke to the man behind without turning, "but, what would I expect from our best medical nin, right Dr. Ren?"

"My Lord," the nin behind him bowed his head in acknowledgement of the praise and then lifted his crystal blue eyes to stare at the monitor. "I believe that if we had persisted in keeping the prisoner in the danks of the dungeon he would have been completely lost to reality and we would have lost a major pawn in our plans."

Kaze Hiro listened to the reasoning and cocked his head to the side in agreement before commenting, "We can't have that now. He still has an important role to play. Once Tomohiro sends the signal, we will implement the first step to a better life for our people. Now, doctor, see to it that Kakashi receives better care, until he is in better health and able to move about in the room more freely. We need him active, or all this will have been for naught."

"As you wish My Lord," Dr. Ren said, bowing to the Kaze, his long black hair shifting forward to temporarily cover his face. Standing erect once more, he gave one last glance to the monitor. "My Lord, permission to submit a request?"

The Kaze, surprised, quickly covered the emotions in his face and turned his chair to face Ren, wondering what the doctor could be asking for, seeing as this was the first ever request he could remember the man giving him. Leaning back in his seat, he stared the man straight in the eyes and pursed his lips. "Permission . . . granted."

Ren's face was stoic but inside his stomach was starting to twist into knots and he began to second guess his idea. Bowing his head before his leader, he spoke firmly, "I believe that, if we were to . . . . acquire someone from his village, someone of whom he was deeply connected with and brought them here, substituting one of our own in their place, in order to divert any suspicion that might have arisen otherwise, and bring them here to help in the healing process of our . . . guest. This would also give us really good leverage to keep him in line when we need him to complete his part of the plan."

Ren kept his head down as he awaited the Lord's decision, pondering on whether or not it had been wise to even suggest it. The silence between the two men stretched on for some time. The doctor felt beads of sweat, from strain of keeping his body curved in a bow and also from the tension of what mood his question would lead the Kaze into being in, trickle down his neck and his back.

Hiro contemplated the man before him and weighed the pros and cons of this idea and finally deciding on what must be done. Twining his fingers together over his flat stomach, the Kaze leaned back in his chair and said, "That is an agreeable and effective suggestion. There are steps we must prepare with first before leaving to implement this into action. First, I want you to retrieve the files we have of our guest and bring them here so we may study who it is that would be the best choice in this case and also go to the commander of the elite shinobi squad and bring him back along with the files. We must be careful on how we proceed with this task, least we tip off the village that something is going on concerning them. Now go and hurry back," he ordered at last, before turning once more to the screen where Kakashi still lied curled in a ball on the bed.

Ren left the room quietly, only the click of the door announcing his departure. A new set of events has been put into motion and the fate of many now hanging in the balance.

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"Hey Naruto," Sasuke yelled over his shoulder from across the room, his focus still on stirring the soup that constituted as their dinner for the night; a white apron draped his waist and a dark blue bandanna pulled his hair back from his face. When no voice answered his inquiry, a frown marked the raven's face and he gave the soup one last stir before laying the ladle down on the plate by the stove. Just as he was about to turn around though, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him back into a firm chest.

Nuzzling into the Uchiha's neck, Naruto drew in a deep breath, feeling an insane urge to just cling to his love, as if he would disappear from his arms if he didn't hold him close. "Sasuke," he murmured as he felt the rave relax into the embrace. "It's too much," he whispered, shudders traveling his spine as he thought about Sakura and the scene that he had witnessed the night before. "I don't think she can take any more of this not knowing and I . . . I can't stand to see her so broken anymore."

Sasuke felt his heart clench at the pain in Naruto's voice, the pain he seemed to be so desperately trying to suppress. Leaning forward, he turned off the burner of the stove and moved the pan to the side, all the while making sure that he didn't break Naruto's hold on him. Finally done with his task, he turned in the blonde's arms and lifted Naruto's head to stare into his clouded eyes. Shifting forward, he placed a gentle kiss on Naruto's lips and then pulled him into a tight hug.

"Naruto, it will be okay, it has to be," he whispered into those blond locks. Cuddling closer, he stared out the window over Naruto's head and listened to Naruto break down in his arms, feeling the hot tears soak his shoulder. "It just _has_ to be . . . and if it isn't, we'll make it be all right, somehow, we will make it right. So cry my love, cry and let it all out, I am here for you, just as we are here for Sakura and Obito."

The sun outside settled slowly behind the earth, bringing a dim light to Nature as darkness prepared to descend and, all the while, in the kitchen of the small apartment, Sasuke held his little kitsune close and allowed his lover to cry; quiet sobs permeating the little kitchen.

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Sakura strolled toward the pre-school, located in the elementary school's offices, her mind wandering in thought, her feet automatically tracing the once well-worn path. Her thoughts drifted to all of her friends who were helping her with all of this, the emotional damage she was suffering through over not knowing whether the father of her child, the love of her life, was alive or dead, if he was suffering or able to avoid the pain that would most assuredly be what he was going through. She thought of everyone:

_Naruto and Sasuke who were so kind to her and Obito by helping her with raising her son and paying the bills. They were her closest friends growing up and now they were her family, helping to make up the loss of her love and, later, the loss of her parents: her mom who died due to a fall down the stairs and her father, who died during a mission a few months later. _

_Lee became very close and attached to Obito, becoming really protective of him. He was a great guy and never hesitated to be there for them both. _

_Hinata, ever shy Hinata, was a gentle teacher at the pre-school and she babied Obito beyond belief sometimes. Obito had become exceptionally attached to her. _

_Neji, still as stoic now as he was when they were younger, was her boss and he was very understanding when it came to her needing to take time off to take care of Obito on days he doesn't have school and she couldn't get a sitter. _

_Ino and Shizune and Lady Tsunade . . . there are so many great people in the village of Konoha that she knew she and Obito were safe and loved._

Looking up Sakura saw that she had reached the entrance to the offices where Obito was waiting for her. Shaking her head from her musings she entered and looked around until she saw her son in Hinata's arms, head on her shoulder, asleep. Smiling gently, the rosette walked toward the two and whispered, "How is he?"

Hinata turned and smiled, her violet hair swishing around her waist and her light purple eyes shining with happiness. "He is fine, he just wore himself out today on the playground. It was all he could do to stay awake for today's afternoon lesson." She handed him over to Sakura and both women giggled lightly at the sight of the little boy cuddling into his mother's arms; he was just too adorable.

Lifting a hand, Hinata brushed Sakura's hair from her shoulders and inquired, "How have you been?" Concern laced through the tone of her voice and it was evident that she was genuinely interested in knowing.

"I have been okay. It has been getting rougher; I suppose it is because it is approaching the anniversary of his disappearance and I just . . . I just don't know if I can stand this wait any longer. And I can't move on. I just feel that he is out there somewhere, alive and hurting." Tears began to gather in her eyes but, before they could spill, she drew a deep breath and gathered her composure. "But I can't focus on that. I have Obito who needs me and friends who care for me. I just have to hope and pray that someday I will see him again."

"I am sure that he will come back to us Sakura. He just has too." Hinata whispered, closing her eyes and sending up a silent prayer for Kakashi's well-being before gathering up her purse and sweater and walking with Sakura to the door. "Now, I believe that you need a nice quiet evening at home. Obito is so worn out that I am sure you won't have to worry about his rambunctiousness tonight. So go home and rest Sakura. I am sure everything will turn out."

The young mother smiled at her friend and said, "You are right. An evening of rest sounds good. Thanks very much for looking after my son Hinata. Hope you have a pleasant evening as well." Sakura turned and headed down the street.

"Thank you Sakura," Hinata whispered as she watched her friends turn around the corner heading for her small house. Moving in the opposite direction, she started home as well, her mind preoccupied with the struggles of her friend and what she could possibly do to help her.

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Kakashi lied on the bed, motionless, his eyes staring into nothingness as his mind remained blank. The wounds on his body were slowly becoming more bearable and his body was slowly becoming stronger from the nutrients he was now receiving in his food. However, the scars of his mind were festering and he was becoming unresponsive to others. He was withdrawing into himself and it was this that forced the Kaze to implement the Doctor's plan much faster than he would have wished, with much less preparation.

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The Kaze, Ren and the commander of the elite shinobi squad had gathered on that fateful day and poured over the files, relentless in their search. While they delved into the many bios on Kakashi's village members they had sent a couple of their shinobi to the village to scout out the main targets of their plan.

It had only been a couple of days when the condition of their guest began deteriorating and they feared that they wouldn't have much more time. Sending out a message across the radio to the shinobi that were shadowing the Hidden Leaf villagers, the Kaze gazed in deep thought at the three files before him.

They had narrowed it down to three individuals they believed that they could . . . "replace" without too much notice and who also were seemingly close to Kakashi, close enough they could help bring him back from the dark recesses of him mind.

Upon the return of the shinobi, the Kaze told them to create a report on the personalities of the three they had shadowed and have on his desk within the hour. They three looked at him without emotion and bowed before leaving, none of them voicing the thought that an hour was hardly adequate enough time to make a full report.

Ren and the commander, Takashi, sat in silence, both contemplating the difficulty of the task that was to befall one of their shinobi before the evening was over. The hour in which they waited passed in a deafening stillness; the Kaze staring at the monitor once more, though it could be more accurately described as staring beyond the monitor and into something that Ren and Takashi couldn't even begin to fathom.

An hour later, on the dot, a knock sounded at the door and Ren stood up to allow the three shinobi entrance. They each stepped forward and placed their reports on the desk before their Lord and bowed once before exiting the room, Ren shutting the door quietly behind them.

Hiro picked up the files. "Leave me. I will send for you." He began to read through each one carefully. Ren and Takashi began to feel tension radiating through the room from their nervousness. _Who was going to be picked: for the mission and for being imprisoned?_ These were the thoughts racing through their minds as they left the room.

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Stealthily jumping from roof to roof, the shinobi from the mysterious village evaded the sight and the hearing range of the security in the village, which had gotten lax over the years as peace had descended upon them. Landing in a tree by the small complex situated on the outskirts of town, the shinobi looked into the window and noticed the person lying on the bed. _My mission: kidnap_, he thought before leaping into action.

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Tsunade sat at her desk in the Hokage office, looking at the paper work piled before her and wishing she had a stiff drink in her hand instead of a pen. Sighing, she picked up the next file and read through the appeal for more money to go towards the cost of training equipment at the elementary school for beginning shinobi.

Work had become her salvation after that event so long ago with Kakashi and Sakura. She regretted having ever accepted that mission and sending one of her best shinobi off to his death. She felt that that was what had happened. _He must be dead to have not come back by now. Kakashi was an excellent ninja and would have come back by now_, she thought. Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of such depressing thoughts, focusing instead on the paper before her. Taking a deep breath she jumped back in, _it's going to be a long night._

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A knock echoed throughout the room causing Ren to jump slightly, his focus having been so entrenched in the book before him. Glancing at the office door he yelled, "Enter," and leaned back in his chair. A masked shinobi walked into the room and spoke through the breathing hole on the guise he was wearing. "The Kaze would like you and Commander Takashi in his chambers as soon as possible. That is all." He then turned and left the room.

Ren stared at the door before him and contemplated what the meeting could be about. Then his mind jumped to the plan involving Kakashi and a member of the Leaf Village. Jumping up, he rushed down the hall and barged into the commander's room, neglecting to knock, which was easy for him to do since they had known each other all of their lives.

Takashi looked up into the blue eyes of his childhood friend and his green eyes showed no surprise. Putting the file down that he had been looking at, he stood and said, "I take it that Lord Kaze wants us in his room now?"

"Yes, we are to go straight there," Ren said and then proceeded to leave the room, expecting Takashi to follow right behind him. The two of them strolled down to the room where they were sure to find the Kaze and knocked.

"Enter," a voice sounded from the other side of the door. They glanced at each other one more time and then Ren opened the door and closed it behind them. They both stood before their Lord, curiosity eating away at Ren and mild interest sitting on Takashi's shoulders.

"I have decided on who shall be brought here to help with the recovery of our guest," he began, lifting up a file folder and flipping to the front of the papers. Turning the file around, he smiled, "We shall kidnap . . . ."

Ren and Takashi looked at the picture before them. Takashi remained stoic but Ren had to struggle to cover his emotions: surprise and longing. Before them was a picture of . . . .

". . . Hinata Hyuuga." The Kaze sat back in his chair and ordered, "Now go and prepare Ayane for this mission, I believe her mannerisms are ones that best match those of our little Miss here."

The closing of the door, announcing Takashi and Ren's exit, brought a hard look to the mad man's eyes, and silence one more to the room. _A new plan is starting and the original one is expanding_, he thought. A smile graced his lips, "The end is beginning."

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"The end . . . is beginning," the soft voice once more whispered, his brown eyes beginning to harden in determination. "The end is beginning and I must not fail." Standing tall he turned blazing eyes to the door and took his first step toward his mission . . . toward the beginning of the end.

Hey all my lovely readers, I just wanted to let you all know that it is beginning to turn into nothing but midterms and studying for finals where I am at so that means that my next chapter probably won't come out until March sometime. I hope that you all can bear with me and that you enjoyed this chapter. I am sorry that it is kind of short! I was so busy this month and then I had a huge huge event to go to . . . OHAYOCON! It was awesome! I had a great time and spent just a littllllleeee more than I should have lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will be sure to make the next one even more amazing to make up for the long wait on it.

SakuraLee91


	3. Everyone's objective

Everyone! I just wanted to apologize for my absence from . Things had gotten . . . bad in my life there for awhile and it was all i could do to keep up with what was going on around me. But things are better now and things are looking up! I hope those of you that stuck with me love this chapter and expect more soon. I am on summer break and had the chance to create an outline for the next couple of chapters at the start of break. So the next ones should come faster. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! and please excuse any spelling mistakes. I was only able to give it a cursory proof-read .

Oh! also, if you have time, I have a poll going on on my profile page about a pairing i have in mind for later in the story. I hope you would give it a look see and tell me what you think ^^

Anyway, here you go! Enjoy!

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Moonlight filtered down between the slightly overlapped leaves of the great oaks that surrounded the complex below. The eerie light of the moon created a surreal atmosphere that seemed to engulf the entirety of the world. The world seemed dead as even the tiniest sound of a mouse scurrying across the brush covered paths was absent. Night's usual breeze was gone as well, creating a sense of stillness that was deafening in the glowing white light illuminating random areas . . . one in particular was a huge compound situated on the outskirts of town.

This compound, usually heavily guarded, had been lax in their security over the years; ever since the signing of the peace treaty among the Great Nations. This lax in security was what gave a certain shinobi, situated on the limb of a tree just on the outside of the compound's property line, the chance he needed to fulfill his mission: _kidnap the Hyuuga Heiress._

_So this is the Hyuuga compound_, he thought as he settled himself on the branch in order to watch the patrol route of the guards. His dark eyes traced their movements from one end of the compound to another and he gauged their strengths and weakness from the way they moved to the alertness they held for their surroundings. _That one_, he thought as he noticed one guard in particular was seemingly lost in thought as he completed his job. _My chance to infiltrate will come with his time at the back lot of the property which is hidden from view from the rest of the compound and its guards. _

The seconds seemed to tick by at an agonizingly slow pace as this unknown intruder watched his target carefully, waiting for his chance to complete his mission. _Time is short_, he thought as he noticed the moon's fall from power and the winking out of the various stars in the sky.

Shifting forward on his branch, he launched himself off the limb and snuck up on the unsuspecting guard, whose absentmindedness facilitated the intruder's plan. Stealthy footsteps brought him closer to the guard until he was able to concentrate a small amount of chakra into his left hand and hit the base of the guard's neck, knocking him out.

Catching the unconscious body before it hit the ground, the intruder dragged it out of site into the shrubbery lining the gates surrounding the compound. The intruder made his way to the ivy climbing the compound and used it to assist in his ascent to the fourth floor window that housed his objective.

The window leading to the room was cracked open a bit to allow for ventilation into the room. Prying his fingers under the ledge was easily done. He slipped silently into the room and approached the bed nestled on the other side of the spacious room_._

_Crackle_. The intruder stopped and placed his hand to his ear, pressing the earpiece in farther in order to hear better. "_You in?"_

He placed his other hand at his hip and pressed the device located there, creating a series of _beeps_ that was a code their squad had created for covert operations. _Yes. _

"_They should be there soon. Keep watch out."_

_Got it._ The intruder took his hand away from the device and proceeded to the side of the bed, cold eyes trained on the sleeping woman's form. Pulling out a syringe from the bag at his waist, he twisted off the cap and tapped the side to release any pent up air. Bending close to the heiress, he grabbed the sleeve of her nightshirt and started to pull it gently up.

Just as he placed the needle to that pale skin, a firm hand came out of nowhere and gripped the intruder's wrist tightly. Startled eyes jerked up to face the intense eyes of the Byakugan—the heiress was awake.

Wrenching himself away, he shot across the room and settled into the battle stance of his people. Hinata threw back the covers and faced the intruder, hands in position, ready to fight. The tense silence between them was broken by one whisper, "Who are you?"

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Under the light of the moon, two more shinobi were making their way to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. They kept to the shadows of the foliage and were light footed as they crept up upon the border of their destination on the far outskirts of town.

The Hyuuga compound was quiet and still, the only movement being the guards patrolling the parameter, more out of habit then out of necessity. The two shinobi came to a stop and peered at the guards.

One of the two, glanced to his left and whispered, "Are you sure you can do this Ayane?"

Looking to the ground, she whispered, "I think I can brother. I have to at least try. Kaze Hiro has done so much for us that I can't not try. You know?"

"I know, little sis, I know," he reached out and took her hand, sending her comfort, before pulling away and once more becoming the emotionless shinobi that they were raised to be. "It's time."

She nodded and they both took off, leaping over the wall of the compound and hiding in the large trees just on the other side. Reaching the large oak in the back, they started to climb.

The two shinobi settled onto the branch overseeing the Hyuuga compound, watching the guards, waiting for their chance to enter the window that they could see was wide open. In the lull of the patrolling guards, where the unconscious one was missing, they flitted from their position and climbed the ivy to the window.

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Heavy breathing filled the bedroom as the two faced off. Hinata glared at the intruder, her mind racing. _No one else is home, they're all at the branch house discussing a way of bridging our family differences once and for all. It's up to me to defeat him._

"Hyuuga," he stated, gripping the needle once more, blood seeping through his clothes where the kunai she was gripping had managed to knick him. "You are going to come with me."

Determination radiated from pale lavender eyes. "I refuse," she growled before leaping forward, her feet sliding across the wood floor as she crouched to hit at vital chakra points. The kunai was clenched tightly in one hand, a back-up in case she ran out of chakra, which she felt she was on the verge of doing.

"You'll have to kill me first," She screamed, lunging forward, her hair flying through the air. The two of them clashed in the middle of the room.

He blocked and parried her arms, desperately trying to stay out of range of her hands. She had already gotten in a few hits and one of his arms was hanging, useless, at his side. Hinata landed another hit on his abdomen. He hissed in pain and swiped his leg at her feet, hoping to trip her.

Leaping high, Hinata kicked out. Her foot landed in the middle of his chest, sending him spiraling backwards in surprise. Trying valiantly to catch his balance, he failed and thudded to the ground.

"Oomph," he groaned when Hinata landed on him, knees pinning his arms to the ground, kunai at his throat. Her panting breath rushed across his eyes, causing tears to arise and threaten to spill. The blood from his many cuts leaked to the ground and started to create many pools on the floor as his ribs protested the weight of her body after having sustained several forceful blows from her _Gentle Fist_.

"Who sent you?" Hinata asked, pressing the kunai closer, cutting into his skin. "Who?"

He twisted his head away and gritted his teeth when she began to press his chakra points with her free hand, her inquiring questions pounding against his ears. When he was beginning to think that he couldn't lose any more blood or chakra without passing out, the ramblings of the heiress stopped and her full weight fell onto his sore body.

"Are you having fun Kane?" A man's voice asked from above the man lying prone on the floor. Hands appeared suddenly and lifted the heiress into the air, into the standing man's arms.

"Hi Akiro," Kane said, shifting with a groan of pain into a sitting position. "Hi Ayane. Any troubles on your way here?"

"No," Ayane whispered, lending a helping hand to Kane and supporting his trembling form against hers. "All was clear. What happened to you though?"

"Well," Kane began, "our reports are false. This little miss is a lot stronger than we had imagined. She has great control over her chakra, greater control than I would have thought."

Kane looked to Ayane, who had used her jutsu and now looked and had the same presence as Hinata. Lifting his hand, he pushed her 'purple' hair over her shoulder and whispered, "Try to avoid fighting as much as possible. Her control is too great now for your imitation to pass at all. If it comes to it, you will be revealed. Please," he leant forward and kissed her forehead, "be careful."

Akiro watched his sister and her lover say their goodbyes from the window, Hinata slung over his shoulder. When Kane finally pulled away from Ayane, Akiro saw Ayane move to clean the room before going to bed. "Ready?" He asked Kane, stepping up onto the window's ledge.

Kane threw one more look at Ayane and whispered, "Ready," before both of them jumped out the window, heading back to their village under the cover of night.

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In the Hyuuga branch house the Council of Elders had settled in for a long process. Situated at the long table in the small meeting hall of the house, they were joined by Hiashi Hyuuga and Masashi Hyuuga. Each side had brought along with them three representatives from their side of the clan and were sitting before the Elders on the opposite side of the table.

The beginning had been fraught with pleasantries. The usual "how are you" and "how is the family" getting taken care of right off the bat.

"_What do you think of the new law stating that even civilians could be called to action in times of war if the need arises?"_

"_How is your flower shop business doing?"_

"_Have you heard lately from your grandmother? I miss the 'ole girl."_

"_I am sorry that Hinata couldn't be here. You say that she has work in the morning? Isn't she teaching now?"_

"_Neji. How have you been? How is that school of yours going? I have a friend who has shown interest, I will give you his information."_

The conversations eventually dwindled down, the weight of what they were going to be doing settling over them. Everyone gathered and the meeting started.

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"Their task has been completed, they are on their way home as we speak," an anonymous shinobi knelt before the Kaze Hiro, head bowed, as he iterated his report. Silence met his announcement. Time ticked by, the only sound coming from the rustling of Hiro's robes as he stood and approached the live feed transmitting from Kakashi's room.

"A caged bird yearns to fly," Hiro whispered, his index finger caressing the screen before him. "Men break before pain and yet . . . this man is different," he murmured, eyes distant. Turning back to the kneeling shinobi, he dismissed him, "Very well. You may leave."

The soft click of the door proclaimed the Kaze alone once more, able to become immersed in his thoughts. His arm dropped to his side and his drifted back 'til he was staring at the ceiling. His eyes reflected a memory . . .

_Branches snapped across his body as he raced through the trees, his prey just up ahead of him. Determination propelled him forward, his tired and aching body protesting every movement. Pumping his chakra to his feet he quickened his pace even more, his objective within his sights. __**Bastard**__, he growled, launching himself onto the person he had been tracking for the past four days. _

_Groans issued from their mouths as they tumbled to the ground, thorns from the surrounding thicket scratching the flesh exposed on their faces and arms. Punches started to fly and legs flailed, their chakra too depleted from their long chase to be of any help in the fight. Hiro finally overpowered the other man, sitting atop his chest, his knees pinning the other's arms to the ground. _

"_You __**bastard!**__" He cried, staring into eyes so similar to his own, his ears deaf to the cries emitting from below him. "How could you? How?"_

_Without waiting for answer, he pressed his fingers into the side of the other's neck. Finding the pressure point there, he applied just enough pressure to cause the other to loose conscious. Hiro watched as those eyes began to flutter shut, his heart jumping as the other man whispered one plea before going under. _

"_I'm sorry, Ni—."_

Hiro was interrupted from his memories by the knocking on his door. Looking once more at the monitor before him, he walked to his desk and situated himself in his chair. Folding his hands before him, he said, "Enter."

The door opened and someone completely unexpected walked in. Hiro's face shifted into surprise and he jerked from his chair. Walking around the desk he gripped the arm of the woman who just entered and guided her to the chair before his desk. "Please sit," he murmured. Turning he shut the door and then proceeded to sit in the chair next to the woman's.

"Now," he said, taking her hand into his and staring into her gray eyes, "what can I do for you Hana?"

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Tsunade's head jerked upright, eyes blinking rapidly to dispel the sleep stubbornly clinging to her lashes. Catching herself nodding off, she gave a wry smile before rubbing her hands across her face. Sighing, she stood and walked to the window, turning her back for now on the heaps of paperwork that seemed perpetually stuck to her desk.

Staring out into the darkened streets of her village, Tsuande touched her forehead to the cool glass window and closed her eyes. The day had been a long one. It marked the start of a new beginning, hopefully, for one of the most prominent clans of the Hidden Leaf Village. She flashed back to the very moment that the treaty slid across her desk, the contents pleas jumping off the page at her.

_A knock sounded at the door to the Hokage's office, the vibrations of the beats echoing in the spacious room. "Come in," Tsunade hollered, running her fingers through her hair in frustration as she grabbed the next proposal off the pile on her desk._

_The door opened and in walked Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, holding an armful of papers. The brunette approached the desk and shifted from foot to foot, nerves emanating from her. Shuffling from the papers on the desk was the only sound permeating the otherwise silent room. Heaving a sigh, Tsunade turned her eyes to Shizune and practically growled, "More paperwork? Gah!"_

_Throwing her hands up in the air, the blond huffed, "I need a drink!" She reached for the drawer on the bottom left of her desk and paused, her hand gripping the handle, and turned suspicious eyes to the brunette. Slowly taking her hands from the handle, she leaned back in her chair and cocked her head. "Something's up Shizune. By now you would usually be telling about how alcohol is bad for my health and that I shouldn't drink, work is more important. But you're not. Spill it," She crossed her arms. "What's up?"_

_Shizune stepped forward and placed the pile in her arms on the corner of the desk. Grabbing the first packet off the top she gazed at the words written on it with disbelieving eyes and slowly handed it toward the Hokage. "It's a bid for a treaty, My Lady."_

_Snorting, Tsunade grabbed the packet and flicked her wrist to straighten the pages. "Treaty? That's it? Shizune, really," she began to leaf through the pages, " we get many treatys across my desk every day, how is this one any diff—," she cut herself off as she read the names signed across the bottom of the last page. _

"_Oh. My. God." She murmured, staring at the scribbled signatures. "Is this for real?"_

_**To the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, one Tsunade, Godaime Hokage:**_

_**In the interest of future generations and political ties of the clan and the village itself, we request an extended audience with the Council of Elders and Hokage in order to discuss a prospective treaty between the two branches. It is an expressed wish between the two clans branches that former ties be severed and we start anew. We would much appreciate it if we could have guidance from our leaders and draw up a treaty under which we may be directed into a better future.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Hyuuga Hiashi Hyuuga Masashi**_

_**Hyuuga Hiashi Hyuuga Masashi **_

_Hand shaking slightly from disbelief as she read the final plea written on the final page, Tsunade set the papers down and rested her head in her hands as her mind raced. The two branches of the Hyuuga clan had been feuding for as long as can be remembered. Though attempts had been made in the past to combine the two branches it was never brought to completion because of the large difference in lifestyles of the two branches. _

"_Recently it did seem as if they were getting along better, the two branches that is," Shizune whispered, hands clenched tightly at her waist. Tsunade nodded in agreement._

"_Yeah," she murmured, looking up out at the window. "Ever since the Chunin Exam in which Hiashi was finally able to reconcile with Neji. In fact, Neji and HInata themselves had been getting along exceptionally well also. However, even though these good signs have arisen, I never expected for the branches to actually broach a treaty plea."_

_Tsunade stood and moved to the window. Rubbing her hands across her face, she sighed before a small smile drifted across her face. "Shizune," she said, "Things are finally looking brighter. If the two branches are willing and trying to unite then," she turned and grinned fully at Shizune, "I have belief that the next generation of shinobi will make this village into a prosperous, peaceful home."_

_Shizune smiled at Tsunade and nodded. Both of them turned and looked out at the blue sky and the drifting clouds; Tsunade finally felt a bit of peace enter her heart, easing the pain of Kakashi's loss slightly. In the sky above, a little bird fluttered his wings as he drifted above the village; a symbol of peace. _

Jolted from her thoughts by the knock at the door, Tsunade shook her head and turned with a sigh. "Come in."

Crossing her arms, she watched as Shizune entered the room. Raising an eyebrow, she leaned against the window and said, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go home hours ago."

Shizune just smiled at her and closed the door behind her. Tsunade heaved another sigh and said, "Were you worried about me? I am sorry. I know you had no other choice but to come and get me. I am sure that the proceedings for the peace treaty between the main house and the branch houses are going swiftly. The elders know what they are doing," she persisted, moving away from the window and toward her desk. Standing in front of it, she began to shuffle papers, her back toward Shizune.

"Hiashi was understanding when I told him of the important matter at hand," she continued, searching until she found the paper she was looking for and holding it up in triumph. "I finished discussing the dealings with the Kazekage. Hopefully there will be future dealings with the sand shinobi," she said, looking over the paper which explained the stipulations of the contract with the Kazekage and the Village of Sungakure.

A shadow crossed over the paper and Tsunade wrinkled her brow. She hadn't even felt Shizune move. Setting the paper back on the desk she asked, "What's wrong Shizune?" Lifting her eyes she looked into the window and saw the reflection of herself and Shizune behind her. As she watched, Shizune's form shifted and became covered in miniature clouds. Eyes wide in shock, Tsunade exclaimed _what_ as she started to twirl around.

Before she could move though, the form stepped out from the clouds and grabbed Tsunade close to a firm chest. The Hokage's round eyes finally got a glimpse of the true person behind her in the window—a man, barely taller than her. She opened her mouth to scream but was quickly foiled by a glove covered hand landing over her lips.

The hair of her captor tickled her neck as he leaned forward, "I am sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry," he repeated it over and over as his mouth traced her earlobe and his arms tightened around her. "The end," he whispered against her neck, "is beginning!"

He jerked his suddenly intense gaze to hers in the window and watched her consciousness fade as he applied pressure at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Holding her limp form close, he took her to the small room off the main office and secured the area before setting her on the couch and setting to work on his mission; the only witness being the stars in the sky.

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The meeting had been in progress for hours now and, though tension still drenched the air as negotiations were discussed, they had made remarkable process. The first order of business was quickly dealt with seeing as the proposal ventured forth so long ago to marry Neji Hyuuga and his cousin Hinata Hyuuga was quickly declined. Both sides didn't want to force such a union and chance a harboring of foul feelings to arise in the future.

Many small issues had been dealt with: such as discontinuing the curse mark placed upon the branch family and the expanding of the Hyuuga techniques to be taught to all those shinobi capable of learning the family style of fighting. It was the issue at present that brought heavy tension to the air: the distribution of the property and the deciding of who claims the rights to the main house.

Everybody there had the same thought as they shifted into a more comfortable position. _This night was going to be a long one. _

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Kane gasped for air as he struggled to stay with Akiro. They were leaping through the trees, the Hidden Leaf Village fading behind them. He held his side tightly, the blood seeping a little through the fresh bandages Akrio had just applied.

"Stay with me Kane," Akiro called behind, his voice drifting back to Kane's ears. Kane looked at his friend and the person lying limp over his shoulder. Her purple hair swung loose, nearly brushing the ground; her arms hanging lifeless down Akiro's back. The Huuyga heiress; Hinata Hyuuga—the little princess.

"I'm here Akiro," Kane reassured his friend, refocusing on getting them both home; focusing on not collapsing and causing Akiro to carry yet another limp body, and focusing on getting this _damn mission done so I can bring Ayane home._

Pushing himself, Kane rejoined Akiro and they both traveled through the woods, heading toward their village. The sky was beginning to lighten as day was fast approaching. They had to hurry.

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Hiro stared at Hana, holding her hand tightly in his own. His brown eyes bore into her worried hazel ones. Hana's trembling form was angled toward the Kaze. Slowly, she bowed her head; black hair falling to create a curtain across her face.

"I am worried Kaze," she murmured, a glimmer of tears sparkling in her eyes as she stared at the floor beneath them. Nibbling on her lip, she looked up and whispered, "It's been too long. What if we can't save him? What if," she gulped, "they killed him?"

Hiro stared at her, a façade of sympathy plastered across his face. Taking the hand he gripped to his chest, he placed it over his heart and vowed, "Everything will be alright Hana. I will save your brother."

"Thank you. Thank you." A smile graced the woman's lips and she shifted closer to the Kaze, sliding her free hand around his neck and hugging him. Burrowing her head into his neck, her lips grazed his flesh as she thanked him in a low tone. Gentle kisses trailed toward his lips, where their mouths met in a passionate kiss.

Hiro pulled her close, dragging her onto his lap, where he devoured her mouth. He trailed his free hand up her thigh while his other still gripped her hand tightly. He arched into her touch as she kneaded his scalp.

"Nnh," he moaned, his tongue delving farther into her mouth, dominating her. With a harsh breath, he pulled away and whispered, "It isn't just for you Hana. It's for my brother. For what he lost trying to do the very same thing," he placed kisses down her neck, sucking at the skin and leaving behind red love bites. "I will avenge him," he promised, nuzzling his head into her chest, suckling on her nipple through her thin blouse.

"Ahh," she softly screamed, arching back, giving him more access. "K-kaze, m-more please! I need you now," she begged, squeezing her thighs together, putting pressure on her weeping clit. Her mind so fogged with passion she couldn't process his words.

Hiro stood and moved to the desk, setting Hana down so that her butt barely rested on the edge. Crowding her backward, he shoved her down hard enough for her head to _thunk_ against the desk's wooden surface. This action didn't bring about a protest of pain but a moan of pleasure.

The next few instances were ones of passion and angered desire as hands tore at flesh and teeth claimed skin. Moans and groans echoed throughout the tiny room, the slap of flesh joining in. Hiro's eyes commanded Hana's to stare into his as he lined up with her entrance, fingers gripping her thighs open harsh enough to bruise her fair skin. "Remember Hana, I do it for my brother. For your ex-lover."

"Y-yes. Yes! Yes," She screamed, tugging on his hips, pulling his hard length into her in one go. Her eyes rolled back in her head, hair flying from the force of his thrusts. The pressure built and built until it snapped, sending her over the edge and into a spiraling wave of desire. Her walls clenched down on the Kaze's member, milking him, pulling him over the edge with her.

When she came down from her high, she was being held in the Kaze's arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Hiro inserted a finger into her mouth and she began to suck softly on it. Her eyes drifted to half-mast, a haze of passion still clinging to her lashes. Mumbling around his finger, she asked, "My brother . . . he is okay right?"

Hiro shoved his finger deeper in her mouth and smiled when she began to suck harder. "Your brother," he said, dragging his tongue up the shell of her ear, "is fine." He nipped the tender flesh behind the lobe and smirked. _For now._

Hana began to arch against him, rubbing her thigh up his leg and grinding against his waist. Hiro reached down and gripped her breast harshly. "You're such a little slut," he murmured, pushing her down onto the desk. He shoved three fingers into her and began to prep her once more. He was aroused yet again and he wouldn't let her leave until he was sated.

Hana smiled and said, "Your little slut. And I want more. Fuck me Hiro. God, fuck me." Hiro smirked and did as requested. He fucked her over and over until she could . . . no . . . longer . . . scream

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Ren stood to the side in Kakashi's room, overseeing the women making up the cot for the arrival of Hinata Hyuuga. His hands were clasped behind him, knuckles white with apprehension. Though he stared at the work gong on before him, he wasn't fully aware of all that was going on, his mind drifting instead to the picture he had seen in the Kaze's office. That purple hair and those pale lavender eyes were entrancing and he felt his heart rate pick up at the mere thought of looking into those depths in person.

"Excuse me, Ren-san," one of the elderly women intruded upon his thoughts, her nervous eyes continually shifting to the still figure lying on the bed across the room. Kakashi had been given a sedative, the Kaze not wanting to take any chances with his possible escape while the door to his prison was continually opened to allow for the small amount of traffic.

Ren directed his gaze toward the woman, taking in her wringing hands and nervous disposition. "What is it Mrs. Ryes?" Ren's voice was gentled as he talked to the old woman, his mind flashing back to when she would care for him as a child.

"Ren-san, who," she licked her lips, then cleared her throat. "Who, may I ask, are we setting up the cot for? Whomever would wish to bed in the same room as the prisoner? One who is so dangerous and evil?" Tears of apprehension settled on her lashes, her eyes beseeching his.

Ren stalled, trying to think of a plausible excuse. His mind flashed back to when they had first brought Kakashi to the caves . . .

_Three shinobi heaved Kakashi's limp body onto the back of one of their strongest and began to trudge behind the Kaze back home. Some of them walked a little hesitantly, their bodies a little damaged from the fight to take down the legendary Copy Ninja. _

_Ren trailed behind Takashi, the one who ended up carrying the dead-weight of their captive. Nerves weighed on his stomach. He was contemplating exactly what was to be said to the villagers when they returned with an anonymous shinobi lying unconscious in their ranks. His tongue wetted his lips quickly, his mouth trembling in apprehension with the thought of questioning the Kaze. _

"_M-my Lord," he whispered, his voice cracking, "may I inquire into something that is weighing upon my mind?"_

_The Kaze continued to stroll forward, silence descending among the group for a brief time before a low chuckle broke it and Hiro spoke, "Why of course Ren-san, you are one of my trusted . . .," he paused for a moment before continuing, "friends. But, tread carefully, for I will not reveal too much of the plans ahead least it somehow be leaked to the enemy."_

"_O-of course my lord," Ren murmured, clearing his throat before asking, "I was wondering, what, by chance, will we be telling the villagers about the Copy Ninja? We have many who are very noble of heart who would not stand idly by at the thought of kidnapping another village's ninja."_

_Kaze hmm-ed and haa-ed, contemplating the question presented to him before stopping and turning to present his followers with his intense stare. "Why, kidnapping? Never say such a thing. This fellow here is Kakashi, a ninja from the Renegade Shinobi squad who are trying to destroy our village. We had stumbled upon information about the whereabouts of one of their ranks and it turned fruitful. We were able to," he smirked, "capture one."_

_Everyone stared at the Kaze in disbelief and stunned silence. They were going to lie to their fellow villagers? Though they were shocked, they quickly shook it off and began to once more follow their leader home. _

"Ren-san," a persistent voice brought him back from his memories and to the present situation. Clearing his throat he turned to Mrs. Ryes, his mind racing. Sending a silent prayer to the Kaze that this tale would suffice he said, "We will be bringing in a young woman. Her name is Hinata and she is the captives . . . daughter. In the past years we had discovered that the captive had been drugged and we can't determine what type exactly."

Turning away from Mrs. Ryes, he walked over to the pile of blankets and began to put them in the wardrobe. "We finally located his daughter," he continued, ignoring the eyes of the woman that had raised him boring into his back. "She is going to be locked in this room with him in hopes that she can . . . bring him back. She will be," he paused, searching for a way to keep her away from the villagers, least she reveals the truth, "um, isolated from the villagers because of two main reasons.

One of which is that we would not like for the possibility of her being a spy for the renegades and this will lessen the chance that she could somehow get any pressing information," he turned and dismissed the rest of the woman, bending to make the bed himself. "The second reason is she is extremely shy. When we first attempted to contact her, she ran. So we would hate to cause her to run and try to escape again."

Mrs. Ryes watched in silence, absorbing what she had just been told. Ren waited, hoping that she had bought his story. Eyes shimmering in sympathy, she twisted her hands before her and whispered, "That poor poor girl. I understand. I hope that we can make her comfortable here."

Ren exhaled in relief as she bought his story and nodded his head in agreement to what she had said. Smiling at Mrs. Ryes, he clapped his hands and said, "Now, let's get this place set up before they arrive with her."

The two of them went back to work. A silence had descended upon them, each in their own thoughts. Mrs. Ryes thinking of ways to make the "poor girl's" stay more enjoyable and Ren thinking of how he was going to present the lies he had told to the Kaze in a way that won't seem as if he acted without orders.

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Kane and Akiro approached the back of the base. Akiro shifted Hinata's dead weight in his arms and watched as Kane stumbled to the entrance and entered in the nine digit code that would open the outer door. A series of beeps emitted from the device until the camouflaged door slid open and the two entered.

The door closed behind them and they both stated their names for the guard waiting on the other side of the inner door. When they were admitted to the base, they split and headed in different directions. Kane headed to the hospital to see Doctor Ren; he had suffered too much blood loss and was afraid if they didn't stop the flow he would slip into unconsciousness. Akiro headed to the Kaze's office; he was unsure of where exactly to place the woman.

When he got to the office he heard voices from inside. Brow furrowed at the thought of having to interrupt the Kaze. Sighing, he shifted Hinata's body and lifted a hand to knock on the door. Silence descended in the room and he waited for direction.

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Hiro pulled out of Hana and stared at her heaving breasts and slightly dazed eyes. Her legs were sprawled across the desk. Turning, Hiro gathered his clothes and dressed, tossing Hana's clothes onto the desk and ordering, "Get dressed woman."

"Yes, Kaze," she whispered between chapped, red lips. She pulled the garments on and stood on shaky legs, her body still pulsating with pleasure. Drawing a deep breath, she shuffled to the Kaze and wrapped him in a hug from behind, his attention focused on the cabinet in the back of the room.

"Kaze, what are you staring at so intently?" She murmured into his shoulder. Hana nuzzled her head into his shoulder blade, waiting for an answer.

"That is none of your business Hana," he stated, grabbing her arms and leaving her hug, turning to look at her. They were done with sex, it was back to a leader to follower flow of conversation.

Hana drew back and nodded. Sighing, she twirled a lock of hair in around her finger and nibbled at her lip. "Kaze, if I may, I still worry about my brother. Do you have any idea where he is right now?"

Hiro mentally groaned and looked at the woman he had just ravished. "He is in the Renegade's base of course. It's not like they send him on missions." _Yet._

Walking toward her, he grabbed her arm and rubbed it in a semi-comforting manner and continued, "From what my sources say he is perfectly fine. In fact—," he stopped talking at the knock on the door and stepped away from Hana.

"It is time for you to go. I have business to attend to," he turned and situated himself behind his desk.

Hana sighed and whispered, "Of course, Kaze," and headed for the door. But, just as her hand gripped the knob, Hiro spoke once more.

"Hana, come back tomorrow. I am going to need . . . your services," he murmured, a small smirk on his lips. Hana smiled and nodded her head in obedience.

"Of course . . . my lord," she smiled, and then opened the door, surprising the man on the other side by breezing by him as if he wasn't there.

Akiro stared as the woman left the office. He had not expected to see _her_ of all people. He was interrupted from his contemplations of what that woman was doing here by the voice of the Kaze commanding him to enter. Akiro stepped forward, shifting Hinata's weight so that he cradled her body in his arms bridal style.

"Sir," he said, stepping into the room and nudging the door shut with his foot. "We have completed our objective. Ayane is in place. I," he started, stopped, swallowed, and then began again, trying to suppress his nerves in front of the Kaze. "I was unsure as to where you would like me to take her."

Hiro smirked and jumped out of the chair. "Excellent. Follow me." He exited the room, accepting the fact that Akiro would follow his orders and trail him down the hallway. Hiro turned left out of his office and began the long journey through the winding passages to the room where Kakashi was being held. Upon reaching the door, it opened before he could touch it to reveal Dr. Ren and Mrs. Ryes.

Ren's eyes widened briefly in surprise before he signaled Mrs. Ryes to leave them and then turned to Hiro, a guarded look in his eyes. "Kaze, we have everything prepared." He stepped back into the room and allowed for the Kaze and the shinobi carrying the unconscious woman to enter the 'prison'.

Hiro hmm-ed his approval and gestured for Akiro to set Hinata's still limp form down on the cot in the corner of the room. He then turned and began to exit the room, crooking his finger at Ren and Akiro to follow him. Once they were outside, he turned and locked the door.

"Report in my office in two hours time. Within that time I want you to compose reports of how you completed your objectives and any pertinent information that may have arisen during that time period," he commanded, his feet propelling him toward his office. Once he reached the door, he turned to the other two and whispered, "Dismissed."

He closed the door in their blank faces and turned to the cabinet situated on the far side of the room. Locking the door to the room, he then headed toward the cabinet and opened the doors to reveal the secret within. Before him were the projecting images of Kakashi's cell and the new addition. A smirk graced the Kaze's face, his eyes zeroing in on the form lying on the cot. _You're mine now . . . Hinata Hyuuga._

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"Nnh," she moaned, flinching as she rolled onto her sore ribcage. Her mind groggy, body sore, she tried to shift into a sitting position despite protesting muscles. With her head spinning, she shifted her legs over the side of the bed, her eyes straining to see where she had been taken.

Feet hesitantly searching out the ground, she slid to her feet, knees quaking; body still weak. Licking her chapped lips, she wrapped her arms around her mid-section and shifted left and right, taking in her surroundings. A groan from the other side of the room startled her. She jumped in surprise and almost fell back onto the cot.

With her heart beating frantically, she approached the direction in which the voice came from and saw the outline of a bed through her hazy vision. Shuffling closer, she saw the form of a man, sprawled under the covers. Heart in her throat, she reached out and slowly pulled back the covers.

Her body went numb with shock; her eyes staring in disbelief. Knees weak, she sat on the side of the bed and continued to stare at the man before her. Tears gathered in her eyes and she placed her shaking hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs. Her body was racked with relief and joy, releasing all the tension and uncertainty from the past years in the form of tears.

Hinata gave a watery smile and laid her hand on the man's back. "We've missed you," she whispered, laying her head on her knees and staring sideways at the man on the bed, tears still coursing down her cheeks, "Kakashi-sensei."


	4. Pain and despair

Here is the next chapter as promised! I had it done a while ago but our internet got cranky so I was unable to post it til now ^^ Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it! It is a bit unique compared to the other chapters but I really enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoy reading it! And, if you haven't done so, please vote on the next pairing to appear in my story-the poll is on my profile page ^^

Enjoy! ^.~

_Pain. It ate at him, tearing him apart inside and out. It was never ending and constantly increasing in intensity as they questioned him: over and over. Repeating the same questions and the same torture, his captors cruelly beat him. Each question they posed was followed by a loud crack of a whip and the sharp sting across his already sensitive skin. Each refusal to answer brought about another round of fists, burrowing into his body, the brass knuckles covering that fist tearing his flesh. _

_As he hung there, arms strung up onto the ceiling, his entire body weight was suspended above the ground and his shoulders were being ripped from their sockets. Silver hair covered his down-turned face while blood, sweat and tears flowed in rivulets down his skin, pooling in puddles on the dirt earth beneath him. _

_The dank smell of being underground surrounded him and pressed in on his chest. The drip, drip, drip of the earth's moisture was a steady bit of torture on his senses: a daily, repetitive torture. His shallow breaths tore at his throat; the enclosed space of his cell depleting the amount of oxygen his body needed to thrive. _

_Eyes heavy, he rested his head against his burning arm and stared blankly at the ground. His ability to focus on escape or hope had long passed and he had given into despair. It was all over. He was dead._

_The clang of the cell door brought his head up in slight curiosity, to see what type of torture was in store for him today. In walked Guard B as he had deemed him. Guard A was partial to a whip. Guard B was partial to fists and brass knuckles. Both of them were better than Guard C who would bring with him a case full of metal devices, of which he would use to inflict pain and torture for hours on end. _

_Guard B cracked his fingers and kicked the door shut behind him. He sauntered forward and stood before the hanging prisoner. A smirk crossed his face and a chuckle built-up low in this throat. Slipping on the brass knuckles hanging on a tool belt at his hip, he smiled and punched the prisoner in the gut._

_Over the light groans now filling the air, Guard B casually asked, "How have you been since the last time I saw you, Kakashi?" He circled Kakashi's hanging form and began to speak again, not even bothering to wait for an answer. "The Kaze is getting quite frustrated with you, 'Mr. Bodyguard'."_

_Guard B walked back around and stood in front of Kakashi. He reached out and jerked the injured nin's head up and growled, "Look at me when I talk to you." _

_Kakashi bit his lip; it took all of his energy to hold his head up straight. He pain drenched eyes stared at the Guard. His breathing became ragged and uneven. _

"_Good," the Guard whispered and stood back. "Now, time for the questioning my little punching bag. First, I will once again ask, what," his voice hardened the more he spoke, "security measures does the Hokage have in place?"_

_A fist pummeled into Kakashi's stomach when silence met the question. "Seems I forgot the customary whip today so I will just have to make up for it," he said and landed another punch, "by increasing the number of punches." His laughter filled the room._

_Kakashi started to cough, blood pooling in the back of his throat. Drawing in a hard breath, he brought the blood to the front of his mouth and stared into Guard B's eyes. Determination radiated from his body, slowly increasing in intensity. He pursed his lips and spat the blood onto the guard's face._

"_Ugh," Guard B muttered, anger building. _

"_I will never," Kakashi huffed, breathing fast, "betray my village. Do you hear me?" He glared at the guard as his body began to shut down. "Never!"_

_Guard B growled in frustration; his failure to get information out of the prisoner weighing on him. "Why you," he snarled, taking a step forward, preparing to ream into Kakashi's dying body. _

"_Raito," a voice murmured from the door, silently opening it wider. Guard B halted, his fist pulled back, and looked over at the intruder. Shock registered on his face and he dropped his arm, stepped back and bowed his head slightly._

"_Kaze," he said, "I apologize in the failure of my duties," he pleaded eagerly, "please give me another chance. I can get him to talk," he vowed, "please."_

_Kaze stared at the guard before musing out loud, "He won't talk Raito. Years of torture has yielded to nothing. It's time for a change in plans," he stepped forward and placed his hand on Raito's shoulder, directing his gaze at the limp body hanging from the ceiling. _

_Hiro walked toward Kakashi and trailed a hand down his chest. "We'll have him moved to a different cell, one with more accommodations and I want Dr. Ren to take a look at him." _

_Raito watched as the Kaze gave the prisoner's chest one last stroke before turning and heading toward the door. Kakashi stared at the Kaze's back through his hair. The room began to swirl and the scenery changed. _

_Dark turned to light and dirt walls turned into trees. The pain burrowed into his skin disappeared and only left behind a heavy pain on his heart. His eyes closed. It all was dizzying and it was making him feel sick. When the world around him began to steady he opened his eyes and the memory of what was just happening disappeared. _

_He was back in the forest with Lord Kaze Hiro, escorting him to the village. It was still light out but night was fast approaching. Kakashi was silent behind the Lord. It had been this way since the very beginning. Through the silence, Kakashi kept a vigilant eye out; his mind was consumed with thoughts of Sakura. _

"_It is becoming quite late," Lord Kaze Hiro whispered, his soft voice drifting back to reach Kakashi's ears. They had been traveling for quite a few hours: the sun now gone and exhaustion from their long trek beginning to drag upon their bodies. "I suggest we rest for the night." _

_Kakashi agreed with the Lord and steered him to a small alcove hidden in the trees to the left of the path. Setting his pack down, Kakashi set out to find some fire wood to help ward off the chill of evening. _

_Grabbing some of the stones outlining the tree bases, he set them in a circle in the middle of the alcove. Gathering up some of the longer branches that had fallen from the trees, he placed them in the middle of the stones, arranging them to form a small stack pointing up toward the sky. Crunching up some of the leaves littering the grass, he tucked them under the tree pillar. Lifting his hands, he quickly formed the signs ram-dog-rabbit-serpent-bird-boar-horse-tiger to perform the Fireball no Jutsu. _

_Kakashi used a smaller amount of chakra to produce this jutsu, creating a small flame that caught on the dried leaves and quickly spread to the branches. A soft orange glow surround the clearing now as the fire created the much needed heat. Lord Kaze Hiro moved closer to the fire and sat on a small boulder beside it. _

_Kakashi glanced at the Lord, making sure he was all right, and then proceeded to unpack the essential items from his pack that were needed for a more comfortable camp. He quickly grabbed the poles and the tent fabric and pitched their sleeping arrangements. Lord Kaze Hiro would sleep in a sleeping bag in the tent and Kakashi would keep watch._

_Kakashi began to feel a slight chill to the air but ignored it as insignificant and continued his watch. He sighed deeply and leaned back on the hard earth, grass tickling his neck. Overhead the stars twinkled and the moonlight brushed the treetops creating a mystical feel to the night. From within the tent he could hear the Kaze settling in and preparing to go to sleep. _

_**Sakura**__, Kakashi thought, wistfully wishing he was sleeping next to her. He began to wonder what she was doing, if she was okay and if she missed him as much as he missed her right now. To be separated right after they had found each other was too cruel. _

_Giving into temptation, he closed his eyes and began to draw a picture of her in his mind. Her beautiful hair, how those pinks locks glistened in the sun; her expressive jade eyes and the intensity with which they could peer into his soul; those luscious lips and the amazing smile that would appear on them whenever she saw him. The picture became so clear he swore he could reach out and touch her. _

"_Kakashi," a voice whispered; Sakura's voice. A small smile graced his lips. It sounded as if he was right there beside him. "Kakashi, wake up."_

_His smile turned into a frown when he felt breath brush against his ear. "You're not real," he whispered._

_Sakura chuckled softly. He felt hands land on his chest and heard her say, "If I am not real, can I do this?" Lips brushed against his lightly through the mask covering his lower face. His heart started to beat fast and hope began to swell in his chest._

"_Sakura?" he murmured quietly. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes and found his love leaning over him. Sunlight streaming down over her shoulders and glistened in her hair. "Why are you here? Where is—." _

_He cut himself off and looked around confused. Kakashi sat up and saw they were by the lake. They were in the village. "I am in the village," he murmured, looking around confused. _

_Sakura giggled. "Of course, silly. Where else would you be?" She leaned into him, hugging him close and sent a bright smile up at him._

"_I was with the—," he cut himself off and cocked his head to the side. "I don't know," he smiled, bemused. "I guess it was just a weird dream."_

_Sakura smiled and whispered, "Well, it's all fine now. You are with me now. I have you," she said, tears glistening in her eyes, "and I won't let go."_

_Kakashi's heart pounded against his chest and a powerful wave of emotion swept over him. "Sakura," he whispered, leaning toward her and pulling her closer at the same time, "thank you." He pulled down his mask, placed his lips against hers and kissed her sweetly._

_It soon turned into a passionate kiss, their tongues intertwining and tasting each other. Soft moans filled the peaceful air. Pulling back Kakashi looked at her dazed eyes and caressed her face. "Saku—." _

"_Kakashi," she cut him off, a blush on her face and spoke softly, "I love you Kakashi, more than I ever thought possible. See, I always felt so inferior. I was the weak one, the one that needed to be protected. Sasuke was so talented and Naruto was so confident, never giving up on what he believed in. They both protected me and I love them dearly. But, even though I loved them, I envied them fiercely. I never felt that I was worth anything. _

_Until I saw you Kakashi, as more than just my sensei; I saw your strength, your intelligence, and the love you held for your team. I began to notice everything about you and, I think, I feel in love with you not long after I began to notice these things. You gave me courage, my sensei, courage to continue to try and do my best, to better myself in every aspect of my life. _

_It was you who held me together as I struggled to find out who I was and what I could become. You're my rock Kakashi-sensei, and I will always love you," she whispered this last part as she placed her hand on his cheek and smiled through her gentle tears of happiness._

_ Kakashi's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her beautiful smile and the glistening tears of happiness. "Sakura, my beautiful Sakura, thank you," he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. They floated on that warm feeling of happiness. _

_ He felt her break their soft kiss and pull away. Kakashi sat there a while longer, eyes closed, filled with peace and happiness. Then he began to notice something. It was silent. "Sakura?"_

_ He began to feel a sense of panic and his eyes opened wide. He was in his apartment. His gaze searched the room despite his senses telling him that the place was empty. __**Where is**__, he thought but stopped there when he realized he didn't know what he was expecting to find. _

_ Flopping down onto the bed he moaned as the feeling of panic and loss he had felt began to dissipate. He scrubbed his hand down his face and murmured, "I wonder what that was all about."_

_ In the middle of his musings, his alarm sounded and made him groan. He leaped from the bed and began to get dressed. __**Time to meet them**_, _he thought. He locked the door to the apartment and locked the door behind him._

_ On his way to the bridge, he stopped by the usual place and stared at the stone before him; thoughts filled with Obito. He became lost in his memories and, by the time he arrived at the bridge, he was . . . _

_ "Late!" Two voices shouted simultaneously. "You're late Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sakura yelled, pointing at him. He had poofed onto the rail of the bridge with his usual salute and 'yo'. Sasuke stood behind the other two, the only sign of his noticing the arrival of his sensei was a small smirk crossing his face. _

_ "I got held up helping a cat cross—." He stopped talking when Sakura and Naruto started yelling 'liar' and such. It was best to stop speaking when they got riled up. Kakashi turned his gaze to the boy genius standing with his arms crossed on the other side of the bridge. Kakashi noticed the young boy's gaze was focused and there was something different in their depths._

_ Sasuke's obsidian eyes were trained on the 'number one knuckle head ninja' and in their depths was warmth and a deep, loving affection. It made the boy resemble those love-struck girls that follow him around. Kakashi filed the information away and raised his hand to quiet the louder ones of the bunch._

_ He briefed them on their mission. They took off from the bridge to accomplish the task set before them. Kakashi observed more than participated and noticed that their teamwork was still shotty at best but, surprisingly, Naruto and Sasuke were in sync through the whole thing. _

_ When they were on their way back to the Hokage's tower, Sasuke stopped and stood before them; his shoulders were tense. Sakura, normally observant, still continued to chatter away and Naruto whined for Sakura's attention. Suddenly, Sasuke whirled around and stared at them, his Sharingan whirling in his eyes._

_ Kakashi became caught in Sasuke's eyes; his mind was spinning. The Sharingan was hypnotizing him; the scenery began to disappear and everything became black. It was deafening, the silence and lack of light; disorientating. Eventually, a beam of light appeared and a scene began to paint itself before him. _

_ His body felt weird. He glanced at his hands and saw that they were a lot smaller. Hands found his chest and he realized his clothes were familiar. He glanced over what he was wearing; the scene still forming around him. He recognized those clothes. They were the clothes he wore when he . . . _

_ "Obito," he whispered in shock when the scene painted itself. He was on his knees beside a cave in and there, below him, was Obito, his friend. He reached down, memories gone of what had just transpired. _

_ Obito was dead and Kakashi now had the Sharingan. Blood splattered his clothes and his heart was heavy with emotion. The emotion swirled within him and consumed him. He was blind to the change this time. He was taken back to another moment. He was taken to when his dad died._

_ His dad, the unacknowledged hero, the one who fought for his comrades despite what the laws dictated, and the one whom he never appreciated, was dead. He died for what he had done and Kakashi had shunned him. _

_ Kakashi closed his eyes and ears to the gossip spiraling out of control around him. Voices pounded him from all sides and blood began to slide down his chin from the cut his teeth had inflicted on his poor lip as he struggled to stay silent and hold the sobs at bay. _

_ It was too much and he broke. Everything in him shattered. The scene around him cracked and he was plunged into darkness; complete and utter darkness. And that was his first conscious thought._

_ It was dark. So, so dark. It was as if everything was dead and in the process of everything disappearing he was the only one to survive and was now alone. All alone. _

_ It was suffocating, this darkness. He felt as if it was pushing in on him from all sides, soon to crush him. Soon, he would cease to exist. _

_ This thought caused panic to crawl its way in, creeping over his skin and into his pores; consuming him. His heartbeat thudded hard against his chest, its wild movements sending echoes of its tribal beats to his ears. The primal sound of it frightened him. He began to run, into the darkness._

_ He had no concept of time and no concept of self. He was running on fear and panic. It was overwhelming and he couldn't escape it no matter how fast he ran. It was all just building and building and building and he didn't think he could take much more. _

_ He tripped. Over what, he wasn't sure, for he had been running on nothing, or so it appeared, but trip he did. He laid there, tears in his eyes and hope dwindling. It dwindled and then it was gone, and he was lying, lifeless, on the ground in the consuming darkness._

_ Just when he was about to lose himself and fade into the darkness, a small pin-point of light appeared in the far distance. He latched onto that light and hauled himself to his feet, frantically rushing for the speck of hope that had appeared. As he drew near, he heard a voice calling. It was a female voice but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Just that the tone of her voice was very soothing and gentle. _

_**Please**__, he pleaded with whomever was calling him; pleading with them to not let him vanish in this darkness. The light grew bigger and bigger. It then engulfed him, blinding him with its intensity._

He opened his eyes and blinked slowly to clear the spots that had formed. He sat up and was slightly surprised when a woman threw herself into his arms, hugging him. He stared down at her purple hair and started to lift his arms to wrap her close before something stopped him and his arms fell back to his sides.

"Oh thank kami you are alright," she whispered, pulling back. Her lavender eyes were glistening with tears. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up," she said, placing a hand on her heart and continuing, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't waken up."

He stared into her joy filled eyes and began to smile at the warmth he saw there. "I am sorry for frightening you," he murmured. His smile turned into a soft frown and a confused look appeared across his face. "However, I must ask you a question."

"Sure, of course," she whispered, a little surprised at his formal speech. "What is it you wanted to know?"

"Well," he started, then looked directly into her eyes. "Who are you?" He asked, "and," he continued, ignoring her gasp, "can you tell me who I am?"

A stunned silence met his question and movement ceased. Hope . . . was turned to despair.


	5. Stunning Realizations

Hi everybody, so sorry for the long wait in between updates! Seriously, I apologize profusely! So, to make up for it, I made this an extra long chapter! I hope you enjoy and omg, I can't wait to write the next chapters! I have it all planned out and I really hope you enjoy it! My midterms and huge papers are over so I should be able to update at least one more chapter within the next couple weeks! I hope you all enjoy and thank you to everybody that has stuck with me for this long! I really appreciate it! ***P.S. Don't forget to vote on which pairing you would rather see Hinata with! There is still time :) *I have seperate endings picked out for each of the choices, hehe! Now, enough of my ramblings, here is the story!

(P.S. I don't own Naruto ., wish I did though!)-nor do i make any profit off of these stories!

Tsunade sat behind her desk, piles of papers before her and, to Shizune's surprise, not a bottle of sake in sight. The brunette stood in the doorway and watched her mentor work. Everything seemed normal except for the absence of the blond's signature drink. Shaking away the sense that something was wrong, she walked to the Hokage's desk and placed a new pile of forms in the inbox with a sigh.

"Here are some new requests for shinobi Lady Hokage," Shizune said, placing her hands on her hips. She bit her lip and looked out the window, a look of contemplation on her features. "You know," she mused, "it seems as if the requests for high ranking shinobi have jumped drastically in the last few days. I wonder if we should worry."

Tsunade continued to scribble on the sheet before her. Without looking up, she replied, "I am sure there is nothing to worry about Shizune. People are probably just a little antsy after so many years of peace." She placed one more comment on the page and then set the paper in the pile of those completed and reached for the next one with a rueful look.

"There are bound to be some who just believe this to be the calm before the storm," she continued, starting to process the next request. "But it will die down soon enough. This isn't the first time the number of requests has risen."

Shizune cocked her head to the side and hmm-ed in agreement. "I suppose you are right. Well," she turned from the window and gave a wry smile. "I must be getting back to work at the hospital. Since we began new construction on the left wing things have been a bit chaotic."

"Very well," Tsunade said distractedly. "Update me like usual on the progress and let me know if any help is needed." Once more she placed the paper before her in the completed pile and reached for another one.

"I will my Lady," Shizune assured and began to head out the door. "Oh," she said suddenly and turned back around, her hand on the doorknob. "Do you happen to know where Azuma is Lady Hokage? I have been trying to find him but to no avail."

This question finally broke Lady Tsunade's concentration and brought her head up. Her gaze locked with Shizunes for a brief moment, an intensity radiating from their depths. "He was sent on a three-man squad mission. He should return in a few days."

The brunette blinked in surprise and inquired, "When? I just saw him last night." She brushed her bangs back and blew out a breath. "I forgot to ask him then and it is kind of important."

"Early this morning. It was an urgent mission," she stated and stared at the woman in the doorway; her abrupt reply bringing about a moment of awkward silence.

Shizune frowned slightly and shifted from foot to foot, a little uncomfortable under that stare. "W-well," she stopped and cleared her throat which had gone dry from slight fear. "I better be going. Sorry to disturb you Lady Hokage."

Tsunade watched her hurriedly leave the room, her gaze stuck to the doorway until the barrier thudded close and she was once more alone. She turned her attention back down to the form before her and waited. Her mind was blank. It was as if a switch had been flipped inside her and everything had shut off.

Her gaze was unfocused and her body unmoving. Even her breaths were small, shallow. It was like she was under a spell. And yet, she had no consciousness of what was happening to her. She was oblivious and, in her ignorance, the voice that created this state in her spoke up.

_You did well_, the voice whispered, its hypnotic tones lulling the blond even deeper into a semi-comatose state. _The first stage has commenced. It's now time to precede to stage two my wonderful puppet._

Tsunade nodded, her eyes slowly clearing and gaining life. The voice chuckled softly before disappearing. Lady Hokage once again began issuing the requests for high ranking shinobi, her pen moving automatically, unawares as to what had happened. To her, every decision she made was her own and there existed no voice guiding her in her tasks. To her, everything was as it should be. Everything was normal.

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Shizune returned to the hospital, her mind racing with the unease and brief flash of fear she had just felt in Lady Tsunade's presence. She shuddered and quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of those abnormal feelings, hoping the goose-bumps on her arms weren't too noticeable.

Shoving open the door to the emergency section of the hospital, the brunette walked quickly toward the left wing, her long strides eating up the floor beneath her feet, her mind unable to leave Tsunade's strange behavior alone. _It was as if she was a completely different person there at the end_, she thought, the image of Tsunade's intense gaze weighing upon her shoulders, creating an overwhelming tension.

As she passed by the receptionist's desk right outside the left wing's double doors, she snatched up the clipboard that had been hanging above the file cabinet and began to flip through the numerous papers. Her mind began to finally deviate from the strange occurrence in the Hokage's office and focus once more on her project, her _baby_.

A small smile played at her lips and her eyes lit up in excitement as they thoroughly scanned the miniaturized blueprints and plan outlines. It had been her dream since she was a young shinobi to one day be a part of something that would save lives. When she had become a medic nin she thought she had finally succeeded in that but now, after the Four Elders had decided that the hospital needed major updates, she was able to see her dream. She was creating a place that would help hundreds, even thousands of people; she was creating a difference.

Her mood lifting with the thoughts of finally fulfilling her dream, she began to hum a soft tune under her breath, ruffling through the rest of the papers on the clipboard. A mental list of _things to do_ was running in circles in her mind, her eyes flickering across the page, reading the recent updates to the constructions status.

Her hand grasped the handle to the emergency operating room of the hospital and attempted to open it . . . attempted. It wouldn't budge. Shizune finally tore her gaze from the charts before and sent a puzzled glance at the door before her. "That's funny," she murmured, turning to the set the board on the work station situated in the little alcove that overlooked the gardens. Her keys jingled as she pulled them from her pocket and opened the door. "They should have started work hours ago."

_Click._ A loud swoosh echoed through the empty hall when she opened the heavy doors. Eyes widened in surprise when Shizune took in the deserted room before her. "Where is everybody," she muttered, a trace of anger licking her tone. Her feet carried her into the space, side-stepping the piles of wood and tools littered here and there.

Her neck craned left and right, eyes peeking into every nook and cranny. Nothing. It was empty. "Something is wrong," she whispered, her mind whirling through her encounter with Tsunade once more. "It has to be connected. It just has to be," she said, bringing her hand to mouth in thought, nibbling on her nails.

"You're right," a voice sounded from behind the brunette, startling her. "It is connected." A lengthy pause ensued before the voice whispered, "It's more connected than you could ever imagine . . . Shizune."

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Sakura bundled little Obito securely in a jacket to ward against the slight chill on the air. "Now," she reminded him as she smoothed his hair back from his eyes, "remember what I told you. Behave while you are there and don't—"

"—get in Hinata's way," Obito finished with a smile, his toothy grin bringing a smile to the pinkette's face. "I know momma."

Sakura chuckled and took Obito by the hand, leading them both out the front door, into the sunny day. "I'm sorry, I am just a little nervous. I know you will be the perfect gentleman while with Hinata today."

"Yep, yep!" He exclaimed. "I love Hinata."

Sakura smiled at her son, skirting them around the fountain—the very one where she first realized her feelings for Kakashi. The thought brought a sad smile to her lips but no longer reduced her to the mess of tears that it used to do just a year ago. She began to hum a happy melody under her breath, Obito joining in on the chorus.

They sang and danced the whole way to the Hyuuga estate, wide smiles on their faces. Upon reaching the main gate, all the guards looked at them and nodded in acknowledgement. Sakura had been a regular visitor the past few years, the close proximity of the Hyuuga heiress being a calming presence for the distraught woman.

They were emitted quickly into the estate where they were asked to wait in the front room. Sakura helped Obito take off his coat and shoes, placing them in their designated places. His eyes followed her movements and she was reminded of Kakashi. She could see the love of her life in their son.

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She pulled Obito close and hugged him tightly. Her heart ached.

"Eep! Mom," he groaned, hugging her back. "You're squishing me!"

Sakura gave a watery chuckle and pulled away from him, wiping her fingers under her eyes. "Sorry," she smiled, "just getting a little sentimental. You're just growing way too fast."

Obito opened his mouth to reassure his mother that he would always be her "little boy" but was prevented from saying anything by the arrival of Hinata. He grinned up at the woman but, when their eyes met, his grin faltered and he shifted closer to his mother.

"Hinata," Sakura greeted with a huge grin, standing to give her friend a hug. "Thank you so much for looking after Obito for me. You're such a life-saver."

Hinata laughed and hugged back, murmuring, "It's no problem, really. I know you have some important work to complete for Neji-san."

"That's true. I am glad that I have the chance to get it done today," Sakura sighed with a smile. "The next couple of days would be too hectic to do it, what with the consolidation of the two Hyuuga branches taking place this weekend."

"Me too," Hinata smiled. "Don't worry about a thing. Little Obito and I will have a great time today, won't we?" she asked, crouching down to look into Obito's eyes.

Obito backed away, eyes swirling in confusion and discomfort. His little hands clutched onto Sakura's pant leg, his head shaking back and forth rapidly. "No," he murmured, eyebrows furrowed over little orbs, "no."

"Obito?" Sakura questioned. "What's wrong, little one? It's Hinata. You love Hinata, remember?" She murmured, running a hand over his soft locks of hair. "You even said so on the way here." She turned to look at Hinata and whispered, "I don't know what's wrong with him."

Something brief flashed in Hinata's violet eyes as she quickly stood up, passing so fast that Sakura couldn't put a finger on it. Shaking the feeling that something was wrong, Sakura crouched down and coaxed Obito to stand in front of her. "What's wrong honey? Are you not feeling well?"

Obito pursed his lips, his eyes filling briefly with a mist of doubt. However, before he could say anything, Hinata hurriedly said, "He probably knows that I am not feeling all that well today and doesn't want to tire me out."

"That's not . . ." Obito started to say, his voice so soft as he burrowed into his mother's arms, but his words were cut off when Hinata's words registered with Sakura.

"Oh Hinata! Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? I can find someone else to watch over him. You should get your rest." Sakura exclaimed, taking her eyes off her child and staring at her best friend, arms automatically wrapping around her little one in comfort.

"Oh, no, no," she waved her hands in front of her. "I am fine, just a little tired. It's nothing but a little cold. Plus, you should really be getting to the office. And it would take too long to find someone else," Hinata pointed out.

A frown marred Sakura's brow. "I suppose that's true," she mused, looking uncertain. "Obito, sweetie, I know you worry about Hinata but it will be fine. Just go easy on her okay? I will try to finish my work as soon as possible."

"But, mom, that's not—, " he started to say, before Hinata pulled him into a hug, arms covering his mouth and preventing him to speak. Her long hair swished forward to block Sakura's view and make it appear as if the heiress was gently cradling the little boy.

"Everything will be fine Sakura, go ahead and go," Hinata smiled, arms tightening around Obito. "We will see you tonight okay?"

Sakura nodded, sending one last glance at her son. "Don't worry, I will be back before you know it and I am sure that by then Hinata will be fine and you two will be having a great time, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, she rushed out the front door before she could cave at the pleading look Obito was sure to have thrown her way. She always caved at that look. _I wonder what's wrong with him? _ She thought, her feet carrying her quickly to the offices of Neji Hyuuga. _I will just have to work as fast as I can and get back to him._ She resolved.

Upon reaching the office, Sakura marched straight to her little cubicle and began to file the paperwork for a big job that Neji was hoping to undertake within the next week. He was in very high demand. In all honesty, Sakura understood. Who wouldn't want to be trained by the Hyuuga Genius? Though . . .

"Neji," she called suddenly, confusion written across her features. When she received no answer she stood and walked to the main office. The lights were off. _That's weird,_ she thought, _I could have sworn he said he would be here today._ Shrugging it off, she walked to the break room and made herself some tea. "Maybe he was called away on a mission," she murmured, sitting down to wait for the kettle to whistle.

_This has been a weird day, to say the least._ She signed and leaned her chin on her hand, staring at the clock on the wall. The seconds ticked by slowly, lulling her into a semi-unconscious state. Just as she was about to tumble into slumber, the whistle on the kettle sounded and she jerked to a standing position, stumbling to the stove. _Jezz, get ahold of yourself girl. Just get the work done so you can go back to Obito. _"I just hope he isn't getting sick, cause that's the last thing we need."

Finally arriving back at her desk, she placed the cup on a coaster and grabbed the next batch of files. Focusing on the task before her, she attempted to drown out thoughts of all else: the memory of little Obito pleading with her to not leave him behind and the uneasy feeling that there is something going on that she is just barely missing. The sooner she got done, she resolved, the better.

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_Sunlight filtered down upon the grass, its rays warming the earth and all its creatures. A light breeze stirred the trees and swirled the leaves, causing them to dance in patterns upon the wind. In the middle of the fields below lay a man, his silver hair dancing with the air and his face basking in the warm glow being bestowed upon him. His eyes were closed, brow furrowed in thought._

_ "Who am I?" He whispered. Chapped lips parted on an exhale, teeth gnawing on the lower mouth out of frustration. Eyelids flew open revealing a pair of mismatched eyes as a rough voice whimpered, "Who am I?"_

_ "Don't you know?" a voice drifted over the air._

_ The man sat up quickly and looked around, "Who's there?" His gaze scanned the tree lines for any sign of movement. "Where are you?"_

_ "You know who I am. You know where I am." The voice spoke in a soothing rhythm. "You know all of this, you just have to remember it."_

_ "Remember it?" He questioned, his fists clenching in frustration. "I have been trying to remember it! But I can't. I don't know . . . I just don't know." He stood up in a rush and spun in a circle. "I don't know who I am and I can't seem to remember it. Can't you tell me? Do you know who I am?"_

_ "I know. I know all about you." The voice spoke in a warm tone. A sigh filtered along the breeze, "However, I can't tell you. You must remember. For you to be sure, you must remember."_

_ "But how?" He shouted, running his hands through his hair in irritation. "How do I remember? What do I do to remember?"_

_ Silence filled the fields and the man began to get agitated. He fell to the ground and buried his head in his hands in despair. "How do I remember?" he sobbed quietly._

_ "Look into yourself." The voice replied faintly, surprising the man. "Look inside your heart and you will find yourself. And when you do, you will know who I am, and who __**you **__are. I wish you luck and hope you remember soon."_

_ The voice began to fade out, leaving nothing but silence in its wake. This time gone for sure. "Wait!" The man yelled, throwing his hand out, as if to hold onto something. "Don't go . . . Don't leave me," he murmured, a tear beginning to fall from his eye, "don't leave me in the dark."_

_ As the tear traveled down his cheek, the wind stopped and the rustling of the leaves on the wind disappeared. The light surrounding him slowly dimmed, taking the warmth with it, until there was nothing but darkness surrounding him, and an unbearable cold. It was all gone and he was, one again, in despair._

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Lavender eyes stared at the sleeping form on the bed across the room. A silent tear made its way down a pale cheek as arms gripped each other tightly across upraised knees. "Oh Kakashi-sensei," a low, rough voice murmured. "What have they done to you?"

_Click._ The sound echoed through the room, its presence announcing the entrance of a visitor. Purple hair swirled around taunt shoulders while weary eyes glanced at the door. The man known as Doctor Ren walked into the room, carrying a covered tray in his hands. His eyes immediately locked with the intense lavender ones staring at him and a small smile broke out on his face.

"And how are you today Hinata?" He asked quietly, stepping inside so the guard could lock the door behind him. He quickly walked across the room to the little table set up under the silver framed mirror and set the tray upon its surface. "I brought you some food. Mrs. Ryes prepared it for you today. It's one of her specialties."

Hinata swung her legs to the floor and stood up, knees quaking from the pressure after have sat in the same position for what felt like hours. Padding softly over to the Doctor, she kept an eye on him as she sat at the table. "What is it?"  
Ren cocked his head to the side and murmured, "I am glad you aren't refusing to eat today," before lifting the lid and setting it aside. From the platter drifted a delicious aroma that had Hinata's stomach rumbling. "It's a foreign dish that she picked up as a child."

Hinata took a deep breath and whispered, "How can I be sure it is safe to eat?" She swallowed, an excess of saliva beginning to build in her throat over the mouthwatering dish. The tips of her fingers twitched before burying deep into her pant legs, twisting into the fabric to keep from moving.

Ren reached forward and stabbed a forkful of the food and said, "I will show you it is safe." He lifted the bite to his mouth and slid it in between his parted lips, eyes still locked with the young heiress'. He chewed slowly and then swallowed. "See?" He asked, opening his mouth for her to witness that he had swallowed it all. "It's perfectly fine."

Hinata eyed the fork her held out to her before grabbing it and taking a tentative bite of the food. Her eyes widened in delight and she gave a tiny moan of pleasure before digging in. Rumbles emitted from her stomach, rumbles of appreciation. Out of pure stubbornness, she had declined the previous meals offered to her every now and then, only drinking water for survival. But she knew that, if she wanted to live, she had to eat soon. Taking one last bite, she set her fork down and looked at the Doctor and murmured, "Thank you."  
Ren looked at her in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at the ethereal beauty before him. "Th—," his voice cracked and he cleared it before trying again, his cheeks stained red with embarrassment. "Thanks for what?"

"For this," she gestured to the nearly empty plate before her. "For showing me it was safe to eat. For treating me like a guest instead of a prisoner, like the others do." Her hands clenched in her lap and she averted her eyes to stare at the sleeping form of her sensei. "I mean, I know I am a prisoner," she whispered, teeth nibbling at her lower lip. "But, as hard as this situation is, it helps to have a least a few of my captors care enough about my health to treat me courteously."

Ren's eyes stared at Hinata's lips, gaze unfocused. A light haze of lust descended upon his mind, and he almost missed what she said. "It's quite alright," he said, clearing his throat. "Well—what I meant was, you're welcome and I am sorry that it had to come to this. But, in the end, it will be worth it."

Lavender flashed as Hinata's stare intensified and bore into Ren's suddenly surprised one. "What will be worth it? What exactly is the plan of your leader? Why are you kidnapping Leaf Shinobi? Where exactly are we? What has happened to make your people act in such a way?" Hinata stood and advanced upon the Doctor until she stood toe-to-toe with him. "What did you do to Kakashi-sensei? Why did you do it?" Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall down her cheeks.

Ren stared in shock at the impressive display of emotion before him. This was the first time Hinata showed any type of emotion other than distrust since coming to the base. _She's even beautiful when she is crying_, he thought, his arms itching to draw her into a hug.

"Can't you see what has happened to him?" She wailed, sobs wracking her chest in giant heaves. "Do you know what your actions have done to those that I care about? Do you even care?" She smacked weakly at his chest, her limbs heavy with the weight of her sorrow, making it easy for Ren to catch her hands in his. "Do you—do you—do you—," she repeated over and over, each word getting softer and softer until the only thing that could be heard were her quiet sobs and low murmurs. Her head was shaking back and forth, as if to deny what was happening, to deny that she was crying.

Ren gently pulled her forward and gave into the urge to hug her. Her tiny form struggled against him before giving in, too weak to resist anymore. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and laid his head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent. "Don't worry Hinata," he murmured, "I won't let anyone hurt you. I swear it to you."

Dull eyes, glistening with now suppressed tears, stared at the form sleeping on the bed as arms hung limp. Each breath from the doctor across her neck sent slight shivers up her spine but the drain of releasing her emotions prevented her reaction from showing as she allowed the man to hold her; allowed him to cling to her while she stared at the evidence of his evil intentions lying on the bed before her, beaten and, _quite possibly_, she thought as one last tear made its way down her face, _broken._

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Naruto stood at the sink absentmindedly washing dishes. Blue orbs were focused out of the kitchen window on the stirring breeze and a spinning mind was processing all that had happened earlier that very day . . .

_"Sasuke!" The blond yelled as soon as he entered their home, throwing his shinobi equipment in the crate they had stored beside the door for such purposes. Dragging a hand through his hair, the tired blond stumbled toward the living room yelling one more 'Sasuke' before collapsing onto the couch. _

_ "Ahh!" He sighed, his body going limp in relief. He had just gotten back from a three-day mission to the Hidden Mist Village and was extremely exhausted. "Sasuke?" It was weird that the raven hadn't answered him yet. Naruto knew that he wasn't away on a mission, his equipment was still by the door; there was no way he would go anywhere without it. _

_ A slight thump at the door made the tired shinobi jump quickly to his feet and settle into a battle stance. His heart thudded in his chest, his senses perked, trying to discern who or what was in the house with him. A shadow passed over the wall to his left and Naruto stepped back, out of view, to see who would enter the room._

_ The person crept in slowly and, just as they turned to leave, Naruto jumped from his spot in the shadows and tackled the intruder to the floor. Long limbs thudded to the floor and grunts of pain and irritation permeated the room. "Nn—Dobe, get off me!"_

_ Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Sasuke?" He sat in shock on Sasuke's stomach, staring down at his lover in confusion and then anger. "Why didn't you answer me when I called for you, teme?" He screamed, smacking the raven-haired man in the chest._

_ "Hey," Sasuke growled, grabbing the blonde's hands and pulling him closer to pin him with his stare. "Stop hitting me baka. I didn't answer because I didn't hear you, obviously. I was in the laundry room and the dryer was going. Besides, you're a shinobi, aren't you? You should have known it was me."_

_ "Hmph!" Naruto pouted and turned his gaze to the side, "Well, it didn't help you were being all sneaky-like, teme. I mean, really, who sneaks about in their own home?" He turned to glare at the man beneath him. "It's all your fault you baka. If you had just answered me when I called, it wouldn't matter. Plus, you should be more excited to see me. I have been gone for a while. But no, you are more worried about laundry and—."_

_ Naruto's words were halted by a pair of firm lips. "Mmn—," he moaned, freeing his hands from Sasuke's and delving them into the raven locks beneath him. A heat filled his body as he wiggled into a better position, both of them gasping when their arousals brushed against each other's. "Aah, God, Sasuke," Naruto whimpered._

_ "N-Naruto," the raven-haired man moaned, "Gods how I have missed you." He reached down and grabbed the blonde's butt, pulling him closer as he canted his hips upward in a grinding motion. "Missed you—so much," he moaned. Their pants filled the air as hands wandered, leaving bare skin in their wake; creating a pile of clothing around the two men. _

_ "Sasuke," he murmured, cupping his love's face between his hands. "Missed you too," he whispered, placing his lips against the raven's, his tongue flicking out to swipe across the plump lips before him. He nibbled and licked, begging for entrance which was granted to him with a moan of surrender. Their tongues battled for dominance and, just as Sasuke won the battle and Naruto had released the first button on Sasuke's jeans, a knock sounded at the door._

_**Thunk.**__ Sasuke's head hit the wood floor with a heavy thud, his eyes closed in pain. "Ignore it," Naruto whispered, laving at Sasuke's throat. His hand reached once more for Sasuke's button but was halted, again, by a demanding knock at their front door._

_ "Gah!" Naruto screamed in frustration, realization that Sasuke couldn't ignore the persistent mood ruiner at the front door spurring him into action. Rushing to his feet with a wince, he grabbed Sasuke's shirt off the floor and threw it on, hoping its length would hide more than his tight tank top would, and stomped toward the door._

_ He heard rustling behind him, took it to assume Sasuke was putting on __**his**__ shirt and threw open the door. "What?" He growled in frustration, startling the shinobi messenger before him. His glare almost gave the poor man a heart attack._

_ "Um-S-sorry sir. I h-have a message f-for a Sasuke U-uchiha," he stuttered. He pulled the parchment out of his messenger bag and handed it to the still some-what fuming blond. "It's urgent news form the Hokage. She said it is imperative that Uchiha-san get it right away."_

_ Naruto snatched it from the guy's hand and murmured a 'I'll give it to him' before slamming the door and locking it in the shinobi's face. Turning around he saw the amused expression on his love's face and muttered darkly, "What? I am sexually frustrated so forgive me for not being pleasant."_

_ Ignoring the now look of surprise on the raven's face at his honesty, Naruto tossed the parchment to Sasuke and huffed his way to the living room, his groin still throbbing in unreleased pleasure. Throwing himself onto the couch, he laid his head back and stared at the ceiling. _

_ Sasuke made his way to the armchair by the fireplace and broke the seal on the message, unfurling it to read what the Hokage deemed so important. About half-way through, his eyes went wide and a deep breath of surprise whistled through his teeth. _

_ "What?" Naruto questioned, turning his gaze to his lover. "What's the message about?" His eyes grew concerned as he saw the look of despair and surprise on Sasuke's face. Getting up, he shuffled to stand behind the other man and read over his shoulder. The message he held was a mission. But it wasn't a normal mission. It was a mission that would require the man being gone for months, quite possibly years. _

_ "No," Naruto mumbled, eyes welling with tears of despair. "No, it isn't possible. She can't do this," he cried, burying his head in his hands. "This is the first time we have been together in months and now she wants to send you away for what is most likely going to be a year? She can't, she can't, she can't," he kept repeating over and over as he shook his head back and forth._

_ "Naruto," Sasuke whispered, standing to take the blond into his arms. He pressed a kiss to those silky locks and softly murmured, "It's alright Naruto. It will all be alright. It's okay."_

_ Naruto leaned into Sasuke, his mind numb from shock. He didn't even protest when the Uchiha lifted him bridal style and carried him to bed. Or when the raven undressed him and slid his frog pajamas on his body. Or when he settled him under the covers. Naruto couldn't react at all; all he could think of was the pain of not seeing Sasuke for months, a year, possibly longer. _

_ Grabbing Sasuke's shirt, Naruto pulled himself closer to his love and held on tight, as if afraid to let go, and whispered, "I love you. I don't want you to leave me." _

_ Sasuke pulled the blankets snug around them and breathed in Naruto's scent as he said, "I love you too, my dobe. I promise to come back. I swear I will come back as soon as possible. Now, close your eyes," he laid a gentle kiss to Naruto's forehead, "and get some sleep."_

_ The sun was still relatively high in the sky but they both just wanted to lay there, in each other's arms; safe and secure in the other's arms. Naruto closed his eyes from exhaustion and easily fell to his subconscious. Sasuke ran his fingers through those blond locks and watched his love sleep for a while before succumbing to sleep as well; his hand still buried in those blond locks and his face nestled next to his loves._

And that was how Naruto awoke a few hours later, when the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon. The proximity of his lover made him want to cry as he imagined not feeling the warmth of those arms for so long.

After Kakashi had been sent on that mission, Granny Tsunade had avoided giving the three of them—Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura—long missions like that, knowing that it would stir up old memories and pain. _Which is why I can't believe she would just assign this mission to Sasuke without asking us first,_ Naruto agonized over it. _It just isn't fair_, he thought as a tear slid down his cheek.

He put the last dish away and wiped down the sink area before taking one last look outside. His thoughts flitted to what it would be like right now if Kakashi-sensei hadn't gone on that mission. _I probably wouldn't be so messed up at the thought of Sasuke's up-coming mission. _

Turning, he headed back upstairs to watch his love sleep, to imprint that beautiful face into his memory in hopes it could comfort him in the lonely nights to come. _Sasuke leaves tomorrow morning,_ Naruto thought, climbing back into bed and laying a hand on those raven locks. Leaning forward he copied his loves actions of just a few hours earlier and pressed a light kiss to a pale, smooth forehead, before laying his head close to the raven's and sliding into a rest as he stared at his love and dreaded the coming dawn.

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Sakura stared at the file before her in confusion. It was the last one and, thus far, the most confusing one. It pertained to the upcoming treaty of the Hyuuga clan and the role Neji will play in that unification. The young woman kept reading the form over and over and yet she couldn't quite comprehend what exactly was to be done with it. The other forms were of clients and her only tasks were to arrange appointments that didn't overlap and to file everything according to the system that Neji had taught her on the first day of training.

"This form, however, fits none of the filing classifications," she murmured, reading over the treaty form once more. _Neji, where are you when I need you?_ She thought, stumped by the task before her. Her thought brought a smile to her lips as she recalled someone else saying something similar of the Hyuuga genius . . .

_ Sakura stared at the girl before her as her son was cradled in slim arms. A smile graced her face as she watched her friend hold Obito, her little boy. Tucking a strand of pink hair back behind her ear, Sakura leaned forward and coo-ed at the baby._

_ "Isn't he just beautiful Hinata?" She asked her friend as she gazed at her little boy. A slim finger traced those chubby cheeks and ruffled the light fuzz at the top of his little head._

_ "Oh yes, Sakura-san," Hinata smiled, her lavender eyes lighting up in joy, "He is so precious." A bell rang out in the classroom where they were situated and Hinata looked up in surprise. "Oh dear, that's the bell to settle the little ones down for lunch. They will be coming back in at any time."_

_ Sakura took Obito from Hinata and said, "I guess that means I should be going huh?" A light chuckle escaped her lips at the indignant look on her friend's face._

_ "You most certainly will not! I haven't had my fill of the little one yet. You wait right here, I will be right back," Hinata murmured, walking backwards toward the door. "Don't move," She sent a mock glare at Sakura and said, "Promise?"_

_ Sakura laughed, "I promise, Hinata. Now go." The pinkette stared down at her son as she waited for her friend to return. Not five minutes later she heard a clatter. Jumping from her seat, she rushed to the door and looked into the hall to see Hinata sprawled on the ground with art supplies littering the carpet beside her. _

_ Hinata pouted up at Sakura and said, "Not a word."_

_ "I'm sorry," Sakura gasped, before emitting peals of laughter, "It's just too funny!"_

_ Hinata hmph-ed and attempted to stand up but fell back onto her butt after stepping on a round paint brush. This sent Sakura into peals of laughter once again. Hinata glared at her before a small smile began to play at her lips and eventually a full blown grin appeared and her chuckles began to fill the air as well. _

_ From behind the lavender-haired teacher a deep voice was cleared and spoke, "Hinata-sama, what, may I ask, are you doing on the floor?"_

_ Hinata whirled around to find her cousin standing behind her. "Neji-nii-san, where are you when I need you? I fell carrying all this stuff to the classroom. You could have helped me out you know?" She pouted, arms crossed in front of her chest in indignation. _

_ Sakura watched, amused as Neji's lips twitched briefly before pulling back into the usual stoic façade. He then reached down to assist Hinata to her feet with a quick, "I apologize Hinata-sama. It won't happen again, I promise."_

_ Hinata blushed as she grabbed his hand and stood up. "It's okay Neji-nii-san, just having you here is all I ask," she smiled and then proceeded to pick up the supplies littering the floor along with Neji's help._

A smile graced Sakura's lips at the memory. _Those two are just so adorable around each other_, she laughed. _Hinata always blushes so prettily when she calls him Neji-nii-san. _She thought as she straightened her desk, still trying to decide what to do with the form. In the middle of placing a stack of papers in the middle drawer of the desk she paused.

_Wait,_ she thought, eyes widening in dawning horror. Hinata . . .today . . .

_"Hinata," Sakura greeted with a huge grin, standing to give her friend a hug. "Thank you so much for looking after Obito for me. You're such a life-saver."_

_ Hinata laughed and hugged back, murmuring, "It's no problem, really. I know you have some important work to complete for __**Neji-san**__."_

_**Complete for Neji-san . . . **_

_** For Neji-san . . .**_

_** Neji-san . . .**_

"Oh my God," Sakura muttered in despair. _ That wasn't Hinata! _She threw the papers down and ran for the door and into the crisp air outside, leaving her coat and scarf laying, forgotten, on her chair. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran for all she was worth to the Hyuuga estate. _Obito._

_Obito, Obito, Obito, Obito,_ she repeated in her head like a mantra, praying that her little one was all right. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill as her lungs struggled to breathe through the panic trying to suffocate her.

Upon reaching the gates, she ran right past the startled guards, ignoring their shouts, and straight to the front entrance. Her shaking hands gripped the door handle tightly and thrust it open, a scream of "Obito" emitting from her mouth and echoing through the spacious foyer.

Sakura's feet took her straight for Hinata's room, her outdoor shoes scuffing up the floor and her ears deaf to the shouts of the guards to 'wait.' As soon as she entered her friend's room she knew that something was wrong. The usual spray of lavender scented essence was missing, the one that Hinata sprayed every day because it helped to sooth her. The bed was unmade, which was against everything the heiress believed in; a neat, living environment.

The panicking mother entered the room, the guards following close behind her, wondering what she was doing. Her trembling hands smoothed over the surface of the bed, hoping that maybe her son was asleep under the mounds of blankets, but no such luck. Turning, a flash of white on the desk caught her eye.

Rushing forward, she saw a small parchment, rolled up and sealed with what appeared to be blood. Fear gripped her heart. Just as she was about to grip the parchment, a commotion was heard outside the room, diverting her attention for a brief moment.

"I demand to know what you are doing outside my daughter's room," a voice bellowed, announcing the arrival of Hyuuga Hiashi, Hinata's father. His presence filled the room when he stepped inside. Sakura looked at him with teary eyes and waited.

A brief look of surprise flitted across his face before he replaced his mask once more and asked, "What are you doing in here Sakura? Where is Hinata?" He took in the messy room and demanded, "And what happened in here?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura told Hiashi of what had conspired, explaining that something had seemed off with Hinata but she had shrugged it off, thinking it was just her imagination, until she recalled what had slipped her notice at the time: Hinata called Neji, Neji-san instead of Neji-nii-san.

"Yes," Hiashi murmured, looking around the room, "Hinata refuses to call him anything other than nii-san. But Hinata hasn't left the estate in weeks. Which means, we have had an imposter Hinata living here without notice for a while now. Guards!"

Shinobi filtered into the room at the command, awaiting orders. Hiashi turned to them and began to bark orders on finding his daughter and the imposter. "Search everywhere. I want them found! I want my daughter returned to me. Dismissed."

Sakura watched as the guards ran off and then refocused her attention to the parchment in her hand, heart heavy with fear, as if she subconsciously knew what it was going to say. "Hiashi-sama," she whispered, staring at the parchment in her hand. "You don't happen to know where Obito is do you?"

His silence was answer enough and the young mother drew a deep breath before ripping the blood seal and opening the message. Tears quickly filled her eyes as she read . . .

**We have your child. If you ever want to see him again, you will bring the Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu's to the River side about a quarter of the way into the forest surrounding the Leaf Village. If you know what is good for you, you will come alone. Meet our correspondent there tomorrow morning, at dawn. And remember, it's your child's life on the line if you tell another soul of our meeting. –R.S.**

Sakura drew in deep breaths, holding in the tears that threatened to spill and clenched the parchment tightly in her hand. _Oh, Obito, baby, I am so sorry. I will get you back_, she thought, _I promise._ Turning to Hiashi, she bowed and whispered, "I must go now Hiashi-sama. I am sorry for intruding."

Half-way to the door, Sakura halted at the sound of her name. "Sakura," his deep voice said, "Remember, if you need any help, you can always rely on the Hyuuga Clan. I know it is what Hinata would have wanted."

Sakura gave a brief nod and murmured a quick 'thank-you' before running out of the room and out the front doors; her mind in turmoil. _I know the message said not to tell anyone but_, she despaired, _they can help me. I need to tell them. They will know what to do_, she sobbed.

"Naruto," she cried, "Sasuke, please, be home," she wailed as she ran through the darkness, intent on her destination.

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_**BANG. BANG. BANG.**_ The sound of someone pounding at the door woke Naruto from his sleep. Rubbing at his tired encrusted eyes, he peered down at Sasuke to make sure he hadn't been disturbed and then slid from the bed and to the front door.

Glancing at the clock he felt a flash of annoyance that someone was pounding on the door when it was starting to head into late evening hours. Face scrunched up in anger, he jerked the door opened and glared at the person standing on his doorstep . . . the person that _**was**_ standing on his doorstep and was now currently sobbing in his arms.

Eyes wide in shock, he wrapped his arms around the weeping woman after closing the door, and led her to the couch. Sitting them both down, he hugged her tightly and whispered, "Sakura, what's wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Drawing in deep breaths around her hiccups of grief, Sakura sat up straighter and wailed, "Obito was kidnapped! Hinata is missing and I don't know what to do! Help me Naruto, please," she sobbed the last part into the blonde's chest, fingers clutching at his shirt in desperation.

"Obito's gone? Hinata's missing?" Naruto sat in shock. The sound of footsteps drew his attention to the doorway, where a disgruntled Sasuke shuffled into the room.

"What's going on?" He demanded around a yawn, tears appearing in his eyes as he stretched. He stumbled to the couch and caught sight of Sakura crying in Naruto's arms. Looking more alert now, he sat down beside her and began to rub circles into her back in hopes of soothing her, his eyes beseeching Naruto's to explain what happened.

"Sakura," the blond whispered. "Please, can you give a better explanation of what happened?" He shifted and brought her to his lap to cradle her, soothing her hair from her tear stained face. He and Sasuke both waited patiently for their friend to speak.

Taking a shuddering breath Sakura explained her day from the very beginning. She told them about dropping Obito off at the Hyuuga estate so he could spend time with Hinata while she did some work at Neji's office. She told them of Obito's reluctance to stay behind but how she brushed it off, thinking it was nothing. She told them how she came to realize that the Hinata she had seen wasn't the real Hinata and ended with the note, which she still clutched so desperately in her hand.

"It's all my fault! If only I had listened to my child, seen that he was uncomfortable, this wouldn't have happened. I am a bad mother," Sakura wailed louder after the retelling of her tale. She buried her head deeper into Naruto's comforting arms and continued to cry out her dismay.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, leaning closer so he could look her in the eyes. "It isn't your fault. Not at all. So don't even think that. You are a terrific mother, and everyone, including Obito, knows that. We will get Obito back, I promise. As for the scroll, we will think of something

"I mean, honestly, we have the number one hyperactive knuckle-headed ninja right here with us. I am sure he can cook something up, eh, Naruto?" Sasuke looked as his lover with affection.

"Honestly," Naruto pouted, "you pull some pranks as a kid and nobody lets you live it down. But," he grinned wickedly, "yea, I have some ideas."

Sasuke looked at the now semi-calm mother and smiled, "See, we will get your son back, don't worry. As for the whole Hinata thing," he frowned, "there is something bigger going on here in the Leaf Village. Something is going to happen soon."

"I agree," Naruto whispered, pangs of sadness still piercing his heart at the thought of Sasuke leaving for so long. "And I think it is about time we discovered what exactly that something is," he said with determination.

Sakura sat up and gave both of them a hug, her heart feeling lighter, as she knew it would if she talked to her best friends, her family. "I love you guys, so much. Thank you," she pulled back to look at them, "thank you so much."

Sasuke smirked and rested against the back of the couch, his hand playing with Naruto's hair while said blond grinned and shouted, "We love you too Sakura, believe it," all the while leaning into the raven's touch. Sakura smiled sadly, longing for that type of contact again. Taking a deep breath, she got up off the couch and shook away the melancholy feelings. _Obito. I need to focus on Obito_, she thought.

Whirling around she looked at her two best friends and said, "Okay guys, so," a grin resembling that of her inner personality's spread across her face, "what's the plan?"

Sasuke and Naruto grinned back and both uttered at the same time, "Plan Kick Ass!"

Sakura laughed and sat back down, putting her heads together with two of the greatest shinobi of the Leaf Village and discussed their plan of action—their plan to 'Kick Ass.'

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Kaze Hiro stood in front of the base and addressed the shinobi before him, his expression hard and determined. "It was not so long ago that I stood before you to lead a rebellion upon my own father," he started, locking eyes with each and every one of his soldiers. "And it was not so long ago that we lost almost all that was precious to us." A murmur rose at that statement, many nodding their heads fiercely in agreement.

"It was not that long ago that my own brother betrayed me and our village fell to a bunch of Renegade shinobi who attacked when we were at our weakest," his words began to heat with each passing syllable, anger blazing in the depths of his soul. "But that has also made us stronger!" He shouted, throwing his hands up in defiance.

"We are stronger because of our heartache and for that we can be grateful, if only a little. Because, now we can use this strength that destiny so cruelly bestowed upon us and fight for a better place for our people." A resounding chorus of 'yeas' erupted as the men began to fire up with conviction and pride.

"It's time, my people, for us to strike! Plans, painstaking plans, that we have implemented have come into completion and created for us the perfect opportunity to strike. Now," he continued, as the rush of voices died down, "is the time. You have been given your orders. Each of you knows what to do. At sunrise tomorrow, we set out for the Village Hidden in the Leaves and we obtain, by any means necessary, our new home."

The Kaze bowed his head and shouted, "I thank each and every one of you and I pray you make it through this." Standing tall, he waved his hand in the air and said, "Enjoy your last day before war as much as you can, we depart early tomorrow. Dismissed."

Each shinobi took off, to spend time with a family member, a loved one, friends, or to get drunk, who knows? The only thing that can be said for certain is that they each set off to enjoy their day as if it were their last—which it could very well be.


	6. What's the Truth?

_What's the Truth?_

"_Lady Hokage," the young shinobi inquired as he approached the desk littered with towering papers and uncapped pens. "You called for me, my Lady?"_

_ The desk let out a groan as a pale hand gripped its edge and used the support to hoist the village's leader into her chair. Blond hair fell in disarray around a flushed face and dull eyes. "Yes, Konohamaru, I did call for you." Reaching forward, she began to leaf through one of the stacks of papers before shifting out a small bundle that was paper clipped together. "Here."_

_ Konohamaru grabbed the offered pile and bowed before Tsunade, "My Lady?" He was unsure as to whether or not he should read the files before him or wait for her debriefing. _

_ "I have a mission for you," she continued, voice stilted and distant. "It's a missive for the Sand Village. In those papers of which you hold are formal missives to break our diplomatic ties with the Sand Village."_

_ Startled brown eyes flickered down to the papers held between now shaking hands. Konohamaru flinched and stuttered, "B-but, Lady Hokage—"_

_ Ignoring the young man's outburst, Tusnade continued to speak, "We no longer have need of their services. It's best to distance our relations with them before they require our services. Now," turning her gaze toward the window, she crossed her arms and murmured, "You know your duties to the village. You will deliver these documents without delay. Do you understand?" _

_ "L-lady Tsunade," Konohamaru slipped formalities as anxiety prickled in the back of his throat. "W-why—"_

_ "DO," she interrupted with a shout then finished in a harsh voice, "you understand Konohamaru?"_

_ The young man's face flushed and his eyes glazed over in fright at the thought of what danger this mission could have in store for his beloved village. Swallowing down the bile building in the back of his throat, he managed to croak, "Yes m-my Lady, understood."_

_ "Dismissed then," she stated and returned to her paperwork. Konohamaru took one last look at the Hokage and then left through the door, its gentle click announcing his exit. _

_** Oh Kami**__, he thought, clutching the documents to his chest while his feet carried him to the village gates. __**What's Gaara-sama going to say to this?**_

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Baleful eyes bored into the twitching ones before him, face otherwise stoic. Leaning back in his chair, the Kazekage continued to glare as he crossed his arms and bit the inside of his cheek to prevent an explosion of outrage. After one more deep, and silent, breath, the young man opened his mouth and spoke to the frightened correspondent, "So, basically, what the Hokage is so _generously_ getting at is that she will no longer be available for direct contact and, instead, we of the Sand are subjected to dealing with the secretarial interns of the Hokage office. In a sense," he growled, "she is cutting off our diplomatic ties. This is the respect," he spat, "that the almighty Hokage has for the Sand Village?"

"Well—Sir . . . you see, um," Konohamaru twittered nervously before Gaara's intense gaze, unsure as to how to answer when those eyes promise a painful death no matter the response. _Those eyes,_ he thought, a shiver coursing down his spine,_ if looks could kill I would be dead_. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes which were shining with fright. Bowing his head, Konohamaru whispered, "I am sorry sir. I don't know how to answer that."

"Gaara, maybe you should—," the blond standing in the corner of the room hesitantly put forth before being cut off by a raised hand.

The Kazekage rose from his seat and coolly stated, "No Temari. This is utter disrespect for the Sand Village, and I won't allow it. If Lady Tsunade won't deal with the Sand then it can be assumed that there are no longer any reasons to keep close ties with the Leaf Village. Perhaps it would be best," he mused, "to cut all ties completely, not just the diplomatic."

"Wait! Please, wait!" Konohamaru jumped to his feet and frantically waved his hands before him. "No, no, no. Not that. Please, Kazekage-sama, I am sure that Lady Hokage doesn't intend for that at all."

When those harsh eyes flicked to his, Konohamaru began to stutter, "Y-you s-see sir, Lady Tsunade has b-been acting really st-strange. She must b-be under a l-lot of stress or s-something. Please," he begged, bowing his head as tears squeezed out of the corner of his eyes, "don't do such a thing."

Temari stepped forward and placed a hand on the young man's trembling shoulders. Her pleading eyes sought out her younger brother's. "Gaara, I think we should listen to him. Something doesn't feel right about any of this."

The Kazekage crossed his arms before him and looked to be deep in thought. Finally, a soft sigh issued forth from his lips, and he sat down once more. "Temari," he demanded, drawing the young boy's attention as well, "call a council meeting. I think it's time to pay the Leaf Village a visit."

Temari smiled and left quickly, while Konohamaru's heart soared with hope and his knees gave out due to the relief now coursing through his veins. Grasping the arms of the chair he had previously occupied, he sank back into the seat and gazed at the floor. _I think he can help_, he thought._ Maybe he can set to right whatever it is that feels so wrong in the village_. Despair . . . turned to Hope.

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Hana stepped into Kaze Hiro's bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her. Engulfed in darkness, she crept toward the bed where a small sliver of moonlight slanted across the room from the sight part in the curtains. Upon reaching the bed, she peered at the covers and gave a quiet sigh of disappointment at seeing it empty. "Where are you Hiro?" She pouted and flounced onto the mattress. _And here I was hoping to spend the night in pleasure._

With a growl, she sat up, grabbed one of the pillows and chucked it across the room. It sailed through the darkness, disappearing from sight only for a crash to resound through the room. "Oh no," Hana winced. Grabbing the lantern nearby, she quickly lit it with a small flash of chakra, and then darted to the wall's light fixture that now littered the cavern's floor. _I didn't mean to do that_, she thought as she kneeled and scrambled to pick up all of the pieces scattered about in the dirt. As she reached for a colored piece of glass, Hana grabbed it wrong, the shard sliding through her fingertips and digging into the fleshy webbing between her index and middle finger.

"Ahh," she gasped, clutching her hand to her chest. Her eyes shimmered molten silver in the dim light of the lantern, tears threatening to spill down her slightly flushed cheeks. On knees that shook ever so slightly, Hana crawled to the nearby desk and began to rifle through the drawers, searching for a cloth or wrap to help staunch the steady flow of blood.

The bottom drawer yielded no desired items, so she pulled herself into the rickety old chair that the Kaze had forgotten to push back under the desk. Hana leaned over and snatched up the lantern, setting it on the gnarled wood surface. _Ah, _her eyes lit upon a box of bandages nestled in the piles of papers covering the back edge of the small workplace.

_ I can't believe myself sometimes_, she thought while she wrapped her wound. _I came in here to spend our last night in a haze of passion and instead wind up in pain_. She pulled tight on the bandage, wincing at the sting the action brought with it._ Why am I so clumsy?_ Hana used her front teeth to tear off the excess wrap, and proceeded to drop the scraps back into the box. When she went to go grab the lantern, her elbow knocked one of the folders to the ground, spilling papers at her stocking clad feet.

"Oh great," she muttered. "Now look what you've done Hana, you clumsy old woman." She slid to the ground; her hand reached for the first paper. All action ceased as her eyes lit upon the word written across the top in the address of the letter: Kouji, her brother. _What is this,_ she wondered, pulling the letter closer to the soft light in order to better read what was written.

With each word that she read, her heart raced faster and faster, and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks:

_Kouji,_

_I thank you for your last report. It is exhilarating to know that our enemies are no longer as prosperous as they once were. It seems fate has decided to reward us with this wonderful turn of events. It couldn't have come at a better time. Proceed onto phase two of the plan. Now that you are instilled within the ranks of the Renegades, it should be no problem for you to take on missions. Once you have accomplished your first one, send me an immediate update. It is imperative that you be at the Leaf Village in six months' time. And remember, the end is beginning._

_Lord K. Hiro_

"Plan?" Hana whispered, eyes darting across the page again and again. "The end? What does this mean?" She quickly let the letter fall to the dirt floor and snatched up the next, spilling over the pages one after another:

_Lord Kaze Hiro,_

_The plan is proceeding as we had hoped. The higher ups have trusted me with many of the secrets of the Renegade Shinobi; the one that is essential to our plan is being practiced most dutifully. I have begun preliminary rounds at the Leaf Village, when I am given the chance to wander out that far. I know that I play an essential role in helping with the survival of our village, but I sometimes wonder if you chose the right player. Doubts still plague me at every turn but I will do my utmost best to see the plan to fruition. _

_Kouji_

_P.S. I would dearly like to hear word about Hana. Is she faring well?_

"Oh Kouji," Hana whimpered, tears streaking down her now pale face. "What has become of you?" She closed her eyes and sent up a prayer that her baby brother is indeed all right, then reached, with trembling hands, for the next letter; the file number on each letter indicated which order they were written.

_Kouji,_

_You would do well to remember your place. Hana is none of your concern at this moment. When you have completed your mission then you will be able to see your dear sister, but for now any news would be more of a distraction than anything else. Concentrate. Focus on the end goal, Kouji, we are so close. Our prisoner has yielded little results, true, but we have captured yet another shinobi of the Leaf, and integrated yet another of our own into the enemy's midst. You do your part, and I'll do mine. That is the agreement that we came to long ago. _

_Lord K. Hiro_

"Agreement," came a harsh whisper, slipping through chapped lips. Anger seeped into tear blotched eyes, as understanding began to dawn upon the trembling woman. "Long ago. Hiro has known, all along, about Kouji. He isn't part of the Renegades," she growled, "He's a spy? On Hiro's orders?"

As she poured through letter after letter, she noticed that Kouji was getting more and more insistent about information regarding her own wellbeing.

_Lord Kaze Hiro,_

_How is my sister doing? Please, answer. I have done everything you have requested. I am now a high ranking shinobi within the dwindling ranks of the Renegades, our villages' enemy. I have completed numerous missions; am on one right now as a matter of fact. I have monitored the comings and goings of all significant players at the Leaf. I know this isn't the report you wanted, but I can't concentrate, I need to know how Hana is doing. Please, tell me. _

_Kouji_

Each page began to blur together, as Hana poured through each one:

_. . . Why won't you tell me? I don't understand. I would do better with knowing how she is. This wondering, leaving me in the dark, is distracting me. Please, I have to know . . . _

_. . . Is she ill? Is she happy? I need to know! . . . _

_. . . Are you helping her when she needs it? She was always a little afraid of being left alone. I need to know that she isn't alone . . . _

_. . . You told me that she would be taken care of if I followed the plan . . . _

_. . . How do I know you're keeping up your end of the bargin? . . . _

The words that stuck out the most in the eyes of the now sobbing woman, were those of her brother's, demanding to know if she was doing alright. _Oh Kouji_, she mentally screamed,_ I miss you so much. I wish I could have saved you._

When the tears slowed, Hana picked up the last stack of papers. It wasn't a letter. It was a confession; the type written by criminals in times of war in order to lessen their sentence. Brows scrunched up in confusion, Hana sniffled as she read through the lengthy form before her:

_**This is the confession of one who has sinned against his own. Written by proxy, the words expressed below are entirely those of the subject's and represent in no way any bias from the writer. Proceed with confession.**_

"_My name is Hiroshi . . . Hiroshi, brother to Hiro, son of our village's former Kaze."_

Hana gasped, placing a hand over her open mouth, eyes widened in horror and trepidation.

"_I have been accused of an act of treason against the newly appointed Kaze, my brother, and am being singled out for betraying an entire squadron of shinobi at the peak of an overthrowing of corrupted power. I . . .Unfortunately, I am not able to deny my actions, previously mentioned in the formal charge. However, I do deny the accusation that this is what I had planned all along. That this, the entire outcome, is what I had wanted from the beginning. I never wanted for things to turn out this way. But, perhaps, in order to best explain my actions, it would help to go back, long ago, to what soon became a catalyst for my betrayal._

_I was nineteen when I first met the love of my life. Hana, that's her name. She was so beautiful, with her long raven locks, and those eyes. Those eyes were like pure silver, and seemed to shimmer with her emotions. I was fresh from my first B-ranked mission, and feeling elated that I was finally being acknowledged by the village, by my father, as someone trustworthy. My team and I decided to get some drinks._

_Heh, I am an awful drunk. I get tipsy from one beer. That's probably why I actually had the nerve to do what I did. You see, most of it is hazy for . . .what? Yes, all of this information is imperative to the confession. It's the basis for why I did what I did. Oh? Continue? Okay. . . where was I? Oh, yeah . . ._

_I don't remember much in the form of clarity about the incident. I get hazy bits and pieces if I concentrate hard enough. But that was never a problem for everybody who was there loved to tease me about it later. It became a story that was told at every party, even if everybody present had heard it before. You see, what happened was I, of course, had too much to drink. I don't remember what I drank, probably beer. I am not really fond of anything else. Sake? Ugh, no. That stuff is vile. Anyway . . . _

_In the private alcove off the back of the dance floor was a birthday party. It was for a little boy. I know, I know. Why would anybody hold a kid's birthday party in a bar? I asked myself the very same thing later and the answer, as I found out, was because the kid was the barkeep's son. But I digress. _

_After a few drinks, I began to get . . .goofy is a good word for it, I think. Those who retell it like to say I acted more the kid than the birthday boy. I ran around to the other patrons and puffed out my chest, demanding praise for doing such a good job today on my B-ranked mission. Most people indulged me, others simply ignored me. My teammates say the fun really started when I crashed the birthday party. _

_Now, don't look at me like that. I know it's incredibly rude to just crash a part, especially for an impressionable young boy. But, I wasn't in my right mind, you know? It seems that I walked in just as he was about to make a wish on his flickering candles. Wouldn't you know it, I wanted to make a wish too? Because, there in front of me was an angel. Or, that's how I saw her in my drunken haze. _

_I had seen glimpses of her through the crowd of withering, gyrating bodies on the dance floor, and felt compelled to get closer. What I can remember of that night are my feelings of feeling so smooth and cool in front of that beautiful girl. What I remember of people's stories is my clumsy and outright embarrassing 'grace' as I sprang into action. _

_I raced through the crowd, taking down half of the dancers in my wake, and jumped the rope sectioning off the event from the rest of the bar. Needless to say that wasn't a smart idea, as my landing wasn't quite as elegant as my take-off._

_As the entire birthday party stared at me, stunned at crash landing down the three steps it took to reach the alcove, I scrambled from my position on the floor. I guess in my drunken stupor I believed that the candles sitting there on the table were for me. My eyes locked with the surprised ones of the angel, and I took a deep breath and blew out all of the candles after yelling, "I want you as mine."_

_I know, I know, it's funny. But please, try to reign in your laughter. This story isn't all sunshine and daisies, you know? Anyway, right after I blew out the lights, a huge belch erupted from my chest, taking with it some of my drunk, floating feeling. This allowed for my first clear memory of the night . . . a crying little boy. _

_My angel, to my shock, turned into a she-devil. I might have imagined the horns, or maybe I didn't. But for sure there was fire. I got the scar across my a . . . ahem . . . rear end, haha . . . to prove it. I had turned tail and tried to get out of there but she caught me. _

_I started the day filled with pride, and ended the day a beaten man. Pride goeth before the fall I guess, huh? I spent the next week reaching out to that family, guilt hanging over me for having interrupted that little boy's special day. I learned that my angel turned devil, Hana, was a florist on the outskirts of town. That's probably why she always smelled so good. Again, I digress. The birthday boy was her little brother. His name was Kouji. _

_I . . .Hmm? Was? Oh, no they are very much alive. Why do I speak as if they aren't? That's because . . . sniff . . . excuse me . . . ahem . . . it makes it more bearable to talk about them. I know that, after this confession is done, I'll no longer be a part of this world. I need to distance myself in any way that I can or it will be too much. You understand? Good. Umm . . . now, I believe I was talking about Kouji, was I not?_

_He was such a bright and kind child. Always following Hana around. I know he loved her dearly, and she him. She never had a bad word for Kouji. Through my efforts to apologize and make things right, I became very close with the two of them. It's like, if a day went by without me seeing them, I felt at a loss. I needed Hana's warm touch and Kouji's kind smile to make my day complete. _

_I know, that's nonsense, but it's the truth. And it wasn't long before I began to fall in love with Hana. I began to notice everything about her. The way her nose twitched when she was hungry and smelled food. The little crinkles at the edges of her eyes from her constant smiling. Later, the nervous tremble in her voice every time she said she loved me. Why was she nervous? That's because my Hana, my sweet flower, was never one to be emotional. So when she would convey such intense emotions, she became a nervous wreck. I won't lie . . . I thought it was absolutely adorable._

_But that's getting ahead of myself. Years passed, Hana and I began to date. It was more of a casual affair than anything else. I think we were both too afraid to make it anything serious right off the bat. That unknown emotion, love, frightened us to no end at the time. _

_Kouji grew to be a great shinobi. Why is this part important? Well, it will become clear later on. Just be patient. Phew. Now, I know I said that Kouji was bright, but that might be an understatement. He was a genius, but a rare one. He never flaunted it or anything like that. He was a very introverted little boy who would slowly warm up to people over the span of time. It took me quite a while to get him to warm up to me. I like to think that, in the end, he saw me as a brother figure. It's too late to ask now. Hmm? Why am I sad? Well, you'll see, won't you? I told you, patience. _

_Anyway, I continued to go on missions for the village. I steadily gained a reputation for being the fastest shinobi when it came to B-ranked missions. I could handle A-rank, but those I was much more careful on, for obvious reasons. But this wasn't the only thing happening at the time. I had begun to see changes in the people around me. Mainly, my father. Yes, the former Kaze. _

_He used to be such a loving father. When Hiro and I were kids, our father would take us for walks down by the lake and beseech us to learn to appreciate the small things in life, like the ripple on a stream or the song of a bird. It was those lessons that taught me my patience. It allowed me and Hiro both to become relatively good at calming our chakras, which later became our downfall . . . for both of us. _

_It wasn't long after I had married Hana . . . what? . . . yes, I am married . . . or was . . . not sure how to phrase that now. Anyway, may I continue? Thank you. We married in the gardens that surrounded her shop. It was a private and elegant affair. We were so happy. Kouji was one of my groomsmen, and Hiro was my best man. Cliché, no?_

_After the event was over, Hana and I went to a springs located just south of the village for our honeymoon. There was a very nice town in that area that had a cabin devoted to just such instances. It was one of their sources of income, and well worth the price. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. However, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have gone. I would never have associated myself with those siblings, ever. It's because of my job as a shinobi that the events had to unfold the way they did. _

_You see, when we returned from our honeymoon, Kouji was acting strange. A young teen now, we both just contributed it to the beginning stages of puberty, until, one night, I came upon him standing outside, under the moonlight. He was gazing at the stars, a cold, hard look in his eyes. When I placed my hand on his shoulder, he jumped and simultaneously swiped a dagger at my chest. Only years of training allowed me to dodge the attack. His expression flickered for a moment: surprise, guilt, and then that cold look was back. _

_I begged with him to tell me what was wrong. I knew for sure that there was something wrong now, but I couldn't get him to say a word. Later that week, I was returning home from a short mission to the Village Hidden in the Mist, when I noticed Kouji leaving the village. I made a split second decision to follow him. He was brilliant, sure, but with my practice, I was able to keep a safe enough distance from his senses. It was hard, I admit._

_But, luckily, our destination wasn't far. It was just northwest of the village border, near the mountains. Kouji stopped at the edge of one of the boulders surrounding the base and waited. He seemed nervous, scared. I longed to show myself and comfort him but I held back. It was imperative, I had thought, to see what was going on. I didn't have to wait long._

_From the shadows of the mountain face, appeared a hooded figure. There was a symbol of two clashing daggers on the figure's back. I didn't understand the significance of it at the time, but I know that symbol now. It seems you do too, if that cringe is any indication. Yes, it is the symbol of the Renegade Shinobi. How I hate those cowards. I was unable to hear most of the conversation, but what I could pick up on were the pleas Kouji made; not for his own life, but those of his sister . . . and mine. _

_The next day, I cornered him alone, while Hana was at work, and told him what I had seen and heard. That lifeless look that had been present in his eyes for the past couple of weeks faded, soon to be replaced with fear and a plea for help. He confessed to me that while Hana and I were on our honeymoon of bliss, he had been abducted by members of some secret organization that demanded his cooperation or I and his sister would be killed. _

_I asked him what it was that he needed to do, and he told me. He was to help smuggle contraband out of the village. It seemed that there were many outside our village walls that would pay a high price for some of our resources . . . the Kaze's resources. I asked him when the next delivery was to be made and he said for the next evening. It was then I came up with the plan. _

_I told him to go through with the drop off. At his surprised and fearful look I comforted him with the fact that I would be with him. He wouldn't be able to see me, but I would be there. I planned to bust this smuggling ring wide open. Kouji put on a brave face, and hugged me tight. I knew that he wasn't ready for this type of work yet but he had been thrust so suddenly into it, and I couldn't do a thing to get him out without consequences. So I did my best with the situation I was given._

_The day before the drop, Hana noticed something was off. When she began to question it more closely, I diverted her. How? Well . . . ahem . . . do I really have to say? No, then why . . . oh, curiosity on your part. Curiosity killed the cat, or something like that, didn't you know? Well, I diverted Hana's attention with sex. Yeah, yeah, I know. Rotten thing to do, using hormones to divert attention from something so important, but I didn't want to involve her at this stage, especially since her life had already been threatened. Plus, Kouji was ashamed about what happened, and I wanted him to tell her in his own time. _

_You know, I truly believed that everything was going to be okay. But, right before the scheduled drop, my brother came to visit. He told me of the changes in our father. I had seen them myself but I thought he was still worth saving, in some way. Hiro believed differently. He thought that he should be the new Kaze and that father's reign should come to an end. He asked if I was on his side. I answered honestly: Yes._

_I felt my father was worth saving as a man, but not as a ruler. The power had gone to his head and there is no going back from that. I was being completely honest when I told my brother that I supported him. After that, he told me of a meeting the following day that was going to be held at his house. He asked me to come. Of course I agreed. Not much later, Kouji was sneaking out for his 'mission', as we dubbed it. It was easier to refer to it as such._

_I followed closely behind him, keeping an eye out for anything or anybody suspicious. Kouji stayed mostly in the shadows, avoiding the main streets, and keeping to the outer perimeter of the village. He came upon a dilapidated shed on the outskirts of the village. I had a sense of déjà vu when I saw it, but at the time I couldn't place why. That would come to me later in time. _

_Anyway, I watched him open the shed and grab a box sitting right inside the door. It seemed to be pretty heavy, for his arms were straining. I watched him take the box back to where I saw him meet the unknown shinobi. Kouji set the box down in front of the boulder and tapped the rock in a complicated pattern. After the last hit, he stepped back and waited. I didn't know what we were waiting for but I felt a stirring of anticipation in my gut. _

_Out of my peripheral I saw a group of shinobi, each bearing that dagger symbol, approach. As they neared the boulder, one stopped, causing the others to glance back in curiosity, but never did they slow their pace. The one that stayed behind seemed to act as some sort of look out. His head was turning to and fro, scanning the area. I shifted in my branch to get a better look through the leaves, keeping Kouji in my line of sight._

_Down below, the others were surrounding Kouji. He wasn't startled though so I had to wonder if this was how it always happened. I never got the chance to ask. Again, it was hard to make out what they were saying. I wonder now if they had some sort of jutsu that lowered the volume of their voice, making it so hard to eavesdrop. _

_I didn't need to be able to hear them, however, to know that they were about to kill Kouji when they all pulled out a shuriken and advanced on the now trembling teenager. I was livid. I leapt from the tree and descended upon the group in full fury. They seemed prepared though. _

_I can't begin to describe the battle that played out. It felt like it took hours, but in all actuality it only took minutes. With being outnumbered, I guess it's not surprising that I was overtaken. I remember that Kouji was knocked unconscious, and I was severely injured. They tied me to a nearby tree, and all but one walked off. He seemed to be the leader of the group. _

_He warned me of the impending revolt, which startled me. I couldn't understand how he knew what Hiro was planning, but I couldn't seem to care too much at the time. All of my focus was on Kouji, and that's how they got me. He told me that I was to act as their spy or Kouji was going to be killed. If Hiro and the others had so much as breached the inner sanctum of the Lords and the Kaze, then Kouji would become but a memory. _

_I couldn't do that. They left me there, and I remained unmoving until dawn. That's when I began to come back to my senses. Being told to choose between my brother and my brother-in-law was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But, in the end, I couldn't let Kouji die. At least Hiro, I knew, would find some way out of it. I may lose him as a brother, but they would both be alive. _

_I escaped my bindings and headed back into the village. I had brooded over what to do for so long that, by the time I got to the village it was time for Hiro's meeting. It was a typical revolt meeting. Everyone vowed allegiance to the revolt. Ideas were contributed and plans were brainstormed. It lasted well into the evening. I can't say all that happened in the following days. . . . No, it's not that I don't want to say anything. Don't give me that look. It's more that the days began to blur. _

_I remember the guilt that consumed me when I would pass along information to the Renegades. And that knife that stabbed me in the gut every time Hiro would confide in me. It was torture; worse than any type of physical pain. Do you understand just exactly how much it hurts to betray someone who has always believed in you? . . . No? . . . It's not a good feeling. _

_At one point, Hana's grief over Kouji became so heavy that I feared I would lose her. . . . It's ironic isn't it? The very fear that propelled me to betray my brother is the one that ended up coming true anyway. I've lost my family. _

_It was a slow progression though. First Kouji's fear, which eventually ended in his abduction, then the pain of seeing Hana slowly fade into depression. It was too much for me, but I couldn't give up. I had, at that time, begun to feel like the whole slew of events was my fault. Stupid, right? Wait, don't answer that. I don't think I could handle it right now. Ah, let's see. I digressed again, didn't I? Hmm. _

_Hana's depression. I hurt so much seeing her like that. The fire in her eyes had started to die, and it was around that time that the revolt was initiated. I was to play a crucial part, on both sides. Confusing, right? I sent word to the Renegades about what was going to happen, and then ran to the mountain side once more to wait. I was told that, after the revolt had been silenced, I would hear word on Kouji, and I could take him home._

_I waited and I waited. Nobody ever came to meet me. I was on edge. Night encroached, covering the mountain side in darkness. Still, nothing. It wasn't until the dawn had started to arise that I began to tremble in grief. What if I was too late? What if they didn't keep their word? What was I supposed to do if Kouji couldn't be saved? If he was already dead? So many doubts, so many questions, all running and swirling around inside my head. _

_Just as I had given up hope, I heard the crackling of twigs under foot. Somebody was finally approaching. When I peered into the murky light, I saw a hooded figure stumbling my way. It was one of the Renegades, and he had been injured. My first instinct was to heal. My next was to hurt. Hurt the person that tore apart my happy life. I had started to place the blame on other people's shoulders. _

_In all honesty, I think the blame laid on everybody's. The end that is fast approaching in this tale of mine was a meeting of cumulative events that were caused by not one but many people. None of this is important right now though. What's important is what I found out from this Renegade. He fell into my arms, collapsing from fatigue, I think. _

_I shouted, angry and frustrated, demanding to know where Kouji was located. Random words were spewing out of the shinobi's mouth: lost, damage, war, and death. Those were the more frequent of his utterances. From what I gather, the plan didn't go off the way they had anticipated. Both sides reacted in a way that the other didn't expect. Big surprise right? Human instinct came into play. Of course they couldn't predict what the other side was going to do. _

_Eventually, I was able to focus his attention on Kouji. It took a lot of effort, and the answer I received was like a shot to the heart: Kouji was dead. How? How could he be dead? I kept asking myself that question over and over. I had gone through all of this trouble to save him. I wanted him home. He was family, and I had failed him. _

_While tears gathered in my eyes, the shinobi in my arms perished, leaving this world for the afterlife. I settled him on the ground, and then took off for the caves on the east side of the village. I needed to be alone, and I knew my reception at home wouldn't be warm. Hana, lovely and gentle, was with her parents, as she fought the clawed embrace of depression. Hiro wouldn't ever want to see me again. I just knew that what I did was unforgivable. I just hoped, at the time, that one day he could come to understand why I had done it. _

_I can't recall how long I stayed in the caves. I didn't eat. I drank from a stream nearby, but any more vigorous activities were forgotten in my grief induced fog. Then, one day, I seemed to wake up. I knew I couldn't just sit there in that cave and waste away. I wanted to see my Hana, at least one more time, before I was completely banished from the village._

_I left the cave and wandered toward the east entrance of the place I would eventually no longer be able to call home. On the way, I came across the shed I had followed Kouji to so long ago. It was then that I remembered it. Hiro and I would stash snacks and eventually alcohol there when we were growing up. The flood of memories that came with that realization brought tears to my eyes. I felt the ache of loneliness in my chest, reinforcing that I was all alone. _

_So, tired and beaten, I trudged onward, toward the village. What I saw when I got there was such a shock that I literally stumbled to the ground. I couldn't believe the destruction that the revolt had caused. But perhaps it wasn't just the revolt. The Renegades might have had a hand in it as well. It's honestly hard to tell. _

_Regardless, the place was deserted, and I could feel the pain emanating from the ground. It had lost its loving villagers and was now a decimated has-been. Everything was falling apart around me. Kouji, Hana, and the Village. Hiro. Poor Hiro, always trying to measure up and becoming embittered by his failures. He was such a lovely child, but now I see a bit of our father in him. The greed for power will overtake him I feel. But again, I digress. It comes easy to me, doesn't it?_

_Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to stay in that place a moment further, so I left through the front gates. I guess, all-in-all, that wasn't the best idea I've ever had. When I walked across the border, I felt the oncoming chakra presence . . . . It was Hiro. I panicked. I began to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I was terrified and so filled with guilt, I couldn't look at him. But, I wasn't able to get my wish because he caught up with me. He always was faster. _

_He was so enraged. I felt fear as I trembled under his hold. I remember I tried to say that I was sorry right before darkness ascended upon me. I am assuming he knocked me out. It's not the worst that could have happened, though I think that is yet to come, right? Wait! Don't answer that. I don't need to know. _

_So, my story draws to a close with one more parting wish: I wish for someone to watch over my beloved Hana. She deserves the best in life. I wish . . . sob . . . I wish that we could have reached the end . . . together. As a family. Hana, Kouji, Hiro. I love them. That's all._

_**End confession of person accused of sin. **_

Hana clenched the sheets of the confession in her hands. "Oh my . . .," she became too choked to finish that statement as sobs spilled forth from her mouth. The pages fluttered to the floor when she brought cold hands to cover her grief stricken face.

The click of the door opening behind her drew her attention from her grief, but she was unable to turn to great the man now standing over her. Emotions swirled violently in her stomach and a headache began to bloom in her temple. _I don't know what to do . . . what to say._

"Hana," Lord Kaze Hiro questioned as he stepped within his chambers. "What are you doing?"

"You," she started to say, stopped to draw a deep breath, and then continued, "I found these on accident. I came," she hiccupped, "to spend the last hours with you. I found," she gathered up the papers and held them tightly, "these letters. Why," she turned to finally look into the cold eyes of her lover, "didn't you tell me?"

Hiro's face twisted into one of fury when his eyes lit upon the specific type of documents Hana was holding. His hand shot forward and gripped her arm, wrenching a cry of pain from her lips as the papers fluttered to the floor once more. "You dare go through my files?"

He flung her into the corner of the room, sending a whipping backhand across her face. Her startled cry of pain fell on deaf hears as a red haze of rage flickered to life across his shinning eyes. He looked the part of a lunatic in his temper. "You," he growled, stalking toward the dresser in the corner to snatch up his already packed rucksack, "have disappointed me for the last time, slut."

"But, Hiro, please—," Hana attempted to reason with the enraged man before her, only to be shut up with another backhand.

"I took you in," he snarled, staring down at her. "I cared for after my brother betrayed me. I can't allow for this insolence to go unpunished."

Hiro spun away from Hana's trembling form on the floor. Upon reaching the door, he turned to send her a cold look and one more parting shot, "Once we see the completion of our plan, Hana, you will be punished."

He stalked out the door and locked the frightened woman in his chambers. _It's for the best,_ he thought, turning to leave, ignoring the banging on the door behind him.

Hana, emerging from her stunned disbelief, ran for the door and began to pound on the heavy wood, pleading for him not to leave her behind. _Kami, what should I do? I am so angry and scared, but,_ she thought, sliding to the floor and curling into a ball, _I still want to protect Hiro. _"Somebody," she whispered, succumbing to the exhaustion dragging at her body, "help him."

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Lord Kaze Hiro walked into the front cavernous room of the underground homes and was met with his shinobi. He strode to the center of the throng of people and raised his voice, "It's time. The end," he smiled, eyes glistening, "is now."

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"Gaara-sama, we can't approve this course of action," the elders all protested while running to catch up to the young man and his group as he approached the entrance of the village.

The red head turned and glared. The elders flinched back in surprise and quieted down. "I don't need," Gaara stated, "your approval to help our ally. Follow the instructions I left," he turned to face the exit once more, "and await my return."

Konohamaru smiled in relief as Gaara, Temari, and their brother, Kankuro, gathered strong shinobi together and headed out to the Leaf Village. _Thank Kami, _he thought, _there is once more hope._

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Shizune stared at the man before her in fear. One question slipping past her lips once more: "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he murmured, "like I told you in the hospital. The end," he grimaced, "is now. A war is fast approaching and your Hokage is indisposed." He looked at the woman sitting across the room. "It's time to prepare."

She took a deep breath and stuttered, "R-right. Let's go."

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Naruto looked at the fake scroll before him and closed his eyes in prayer. _Please let this be enough to save our little one. We can't survive another loss._ Blue eyes opened in sadness, a tear sliding down his whiskered cheek.

"Dobe?" Sasuke entered the room, pulling his lover into a hug. "It's time. Sakura is ready." He nuzzled into the blond, seeking and giving comfort. He felt his lover nod in agreement before pulling away.

"Sure, of course," Naruto turned and sent a tremulous smile. "Let's end this."

The three friends set off to save Obito, their hope for a brighter future.


End file.
